


Seduction Mission

by JosephineStone



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 12:42:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7439821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosephineStone/pseuds/JosephineStone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Malfoy asks Harry to help him avoid a completing a mission Voldemort assigned him: to seduce Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

'Hey! Potter!' Malfoy yelled, walking up behind Harry. 'Hold on for a second.' 

Harry rolled his eyes and slowed his pace. He wasn't in the mood for dealing with Malfoy right then, but there was no escaping it once Malfoy put his mind to something. If Harry let him catch up with him then - while they were outside and alone - then at least he wouldn't have to deal with everyone's stares.

'We need to talk.' Malfoy had cut Harry off and stood in front of him blocking his path.

'About what?' 

Their sixth year had barely started, and their last encounter on the train had not been a pleasant one. Not that Harry wouldn't love to return the favour and break Malfoy's nose, but he wasn't feeling up to getting into trouble again this early in the school year.

Malfoy smirked. 'About the fact that you think about me when you wank.' His tone wasn't his usual mocking one. 

Harry said nothing as he tried to figure out Malfoy's angle. Information like that would normally be something Malfoy would use to torment Harry in front of people. That he got him alone could only mean one thing: Malfoy wanted something. Harry shook his head. There was no way that Malfoy could _know_ that. He had to be bluffing. Just pulling something out of his arse to use against Harry. 

There was the small little detail that it was true, but again there was no way Malfoy knew that.

'Over the summer,' Malfoy began to explain as Harry still stood, staring at him in silence. 'The Dark Lord gave me a mission to complete this year.' 

Harry's stomach jumped at that. He knew it. Malfoy had been up to something since that summer, and Harry wasn't just paranoid. Harry was already picturing the conversation he'd be having with Ron and Hermione soon as Malfoy continued,

'He wants me to seduce you.'

'Oh,' was all Harry could think to say. Perhaps he wouldn't be telling Ron and Hermione about this after all. 'Why are you telling me this?'

'Because,' Malfoy said with strain in his voice. 'I don't want you to let me.'

'Then why do it?' Harry asked in the same condescending tone.

'Because he'll kill me!' 

'Won't he kill you for warning me?' If Voldemort found out about this conversation, then Malfoy would be much worse off than if he had just not done the assigned task. Malfoy was helping Harry whether or not Malfoy looked at it that way. If Harry knew Voldemort's plan, then he could find a way to use it against him.

'Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about.' Malfoy paused and it was obvious that he was having a difficult time asking Harry for his help. 'I want you to Obliviate me,' Malfoy said slowly, forcing each word out. 

Harry tried to hold back his smile. Malfoy wanted to conspire with Harry against Voldemort and trusted Harry to not only Obliviate him but also not to use the spell against him. 

'Anytime I try to talk to you, just fight with me, then when the Dark Lord searches my mind, he won't see this. All he'll see is you pushing me away each time I attempted my task.'

'You're putting a lot of trust in me, Malfoy.'

Malfoy scowled in response, which only helped Harry's mood and ruined his attempt to be nonchalant about what he was hearing.

'Better you than him. Besides, what's the worst you'd do? Cry on me?' 

Harry rolled his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, it was nice that no matter how everyone else's opinions of him changed with the opinion of the Ministry, Malfoy's never did. When other kids shook with fear in his second year, Malfoy rolled his eyes. And when everyone had laughed at him, thinking he was crazy - well, Malfoy laughed at him as well, but he knew he wasn't crazy.

'Besides, you have some sort of "thing" for me.' Malfoy scrunched his face while saying the word "thing" and then looked Harry up and down. 

It made Harry's face heat up and stomach twist, which was a strange feeling for him to associate with Malfoy. He never had before, but Malfoy had never known about his fantasies before either. He'd always been the one person Harry could look at while picturing naked and be sure that he had no idea what Harry was thinking. It's part of the reason the fantasies started to begin with.

'Well,' Malfoy snapped. 'Are you going to do it?'

'Yes, of course,' Harry said, then got out his wand. He was glad that Malfoy was going to forget the conversation and was more than ready to end it. 'Obliviate.' 

Harry quickened his pace towards the castle, hoping to be out of Malfoy's sight before he came to again. 

About two seconds later, he heard Malfoy's voice.

'Hey! Potter! Hold on for a second!'

Harry sped up, but still refused to run. Malfoy finally broke into a slight jog and grabbed his arm, spinning him around.

'Just a minute, Potter. This is important.'

Harry, afraid that his natural response would trigger a repeat of their previous conversation, searched for something to end their conversation and help him escape before Malfoy had a chance to say anything.

'Nothing that you have to say is important to me.' It came out harsher than he had meant it, but he was sure that it would work. In case it wouldn't deter him, Harry took the moment that Malfoy sputtered to turn and make his way closer to the castle.

'That's right,' Malfoy said in a dejected way. 'I'll never be good enough for you. Right?'

In spite of himself, Harry turned to respond. He knew where Malfoy was going with the conversation, and there was no point in fighting it out with him again, but he still couldn't just walk away from a statement like that. Malfoy was always the one who said he was better than everyone else, not Harry. 

'What are you talking about?'

Malfoy sneered as he closed the distance between them. He stared into Harry's surprised eyes, once Malfoy had come to where their faces were only a breath apart.

'You know what I'm talking about.' Harry for a minute thought that he had messed up the spell, but Malfoy continued, 'I'm not important enough for you? You're going to regret this someday, Potter.' Malfoy had said it with the same venom he had used on the train. 'I can hold a grudge like you would never believe, and someday you will see that I'm very important.'

He pushed passed Harry and headed for the castle, leaving Harry silent behind him. 

'This,' Malfoy continued as he walked away, 'might have been the most important conversation of your life.' That last part sounded as if it had come out a little bit more pained than the rest. 

It worked. Harry had hurt Malfoy's feelings, and he'd left, but Harry could not get past the pained sound of Malfoy's voice. It was there after only a moment of being left in the silence; Harry felt guilty, even though he was technically helping Malfoy by pushing him away. He followed Malfoy back into the building against his better judgment. How had he gotten himself into this mess? It was Voldemort again. 

At the beginning of his fifth year, when Dumbledore had voiced his concern about the link between Harry and Voldemort, Harry had become slightly paranoid. He didn't particularly want to lose the link because he had gotten useful information on Voldemort's attacks from it. But, he had to admit that Dumbledore was right, and sooner or later Voldemort would figure out the link and have a door inside Harry's thoughts.

Voldemort would find the people that Harry cared about the most and kill them. Harry had become afraid to touch himself anymore, not wanting to share any thoughts with him, and then after fighting with Malfoy one day he'd been pissed off and just needed a release. He had gone to take a hot shower and had thought about Malfoy swallowing all his dirty words, along with Harry's cock. Afterward, he'd felt disgusted with himself but then realised what a brilliant idea it was. Malfoy was on Voldemort's side. Voldemort wouldn't kill him. Especially since there was no danger of them getting together. 

From that moment on, Harry had only thought about Malfoy when he wanked. It felt safe, and it wasn't like Malfoy was unattractive. On days that Malfoy was particularly annoying, he would be rough with him, but as time wore on he thought of doing the same things with Malfoy as he had when he used to envision girls. 

It had never occurred to him that it was odd to think about making love with his enemy, while his enemy was begging for more and whispering, "I love you". It had just felt like the right thing to do. He would get what he needed without incriminating anyone else. 

Well, that was until now.

He saw Malfoy slip into a bathroom and followed him in. Malfoy had slid down the wall, and was he crying? Harry really had hurt him. He didn't hesitate to join Malfoy and slid down the wall next to him to watch him in silence.

'What do you want, Potter?' he said in a surprisingly condescending tone, considering he was half sobbing and had tears streaming down his face. 

Harry sighed while he tried to think of what to say. Malfoy would tell him everything he had already heard. Then, Harry would tell Malfoy his idea was not going to work, and they should go to Dumbledore. The Order could protect Malfoy and his mother since she would need it as well. His father was safe in Azkaban, and there was nothing they could do for him. 

That was a strange thought: safe in a prison.

'What was so important that you needed to tell me?' Harry asked as he tried, without much success, to rub a headache that was forming out of his forehead. Malfoy had gotten himself under control as Harry was thinking, and he glared at him with more disdain than Harry had ever seen on Malfoy's face before.

'I like you,' Malfoy bit out angrily. 

Harry was once again stunned, as though Malfoy had said he was willing to hand him over to Voldemort to die. Even though Harry wasn't sure what Voldemort planned on doing after Malfoy seduced him, he was sure the plan involved his death in some way. Malfoy had been right; he could hold a grudge. Had Harry never had the previous conversation with Malfoy, the confession still would have made sense to him. It would be exactly how Malfoy would respond if he had feelings for him. Harry should let him down and tell him that he didn't feel that way about him. 

However, they both knew about Harry's fantasies, and he knew that denying them would not deter Malfoy.

He could have said that it would be too dangerous for them to be together. That he felt the same way too, but he just couldn't put Malfoy's life on the line like that. He had a feeling that would just push Malfoy on since he had always loved getting underneath Harry's skin. If Harry resisted him, it would just make Malfoy fight harder for it.

Maybe there was another way out, but Harry didn't want to think hard enough to figure one out. What he had been dreaming about this for over a year, and it could happen now. He wanted that power over Malfoy. What all was Malfoy willing to do for Harry to trust him?

Harry didn't say anything; instead, he just slammed his lips against Malfoy's. The other boy pushed back with just as much hostile force, even though at first he had been caught off guard. Harry was surprised at how good it felt actually to kiss him. He had never felt passion like this before. It was hostile, but that didn't take away from the pleasure, just like when he thought about him when he masturbated. It was more satisfying to have him in real life, even if it was all a lie.

Harry finally was able to push Malfoy onto his back, and forced his legs apart, settling himself in between them. They were fully clothed, but that didn't matter. They rutted together while kissing, biting, pulling at each other's robes, until they both came. Harry came first, and Malfoy tried to slow down and keep himself together, but Harry wouldn't let him. He pushed and pulled and ignored the mess in his pants until he felt Malfoy give in beneath him. Harry wasn't going to let Malfoy have anything else to hold over him.

'So what now?' Harry said as he pulled himself up and leaned back against the wall. Malfoy didn't move; he just laid there staring at the ceiling and refusing to look in Harry's direction. Harry took the opportunity to stare openly at him and memorised what his face and hair looked like post-orgasm. It was much different than what Harry had imagined. He'd thought that his hair would have stayed in place no matter what anyone else tried to do to it.

'I don't know.' 

They shared the silence as Harry tried to figure out how to deal with this change in their relationship, and wondered if he would ever get a straight answer out of Malfoy. 

'I wasn't expecting that,' Malfoy said.

'What were you expecting, then?' Harry arched his eyebrow at him, challenging Malfoy to tell the truth, but Harry didn't get his hopes up that it would happen.

'Well, not for you to kiss me like that.' Malfoy finally looked away from the ceiling and shifted to pull himself into a sitting position. 'I just needed to tell you.' 

'Well, I fancy you too…so?' Harry said, then waited for Malfoy to say something, anything about how he felt, or maybe about what Voldemort had asked him to do. When it didn't seem to be happening, he rolled his eyes and asked, 'Do you want to go out with me?'

'Do you?' Malfoy seemed nervous, though Harry had no idea why he would be. He wasn't the one with a freshly exposed crush on his enemy. He was faking it.

'Do you think I'm that stupid?' Malfoy looked more shocked than annoyed and a little scared, but Harry was just as surprised by his outburst. 

Malfoy was going to go through with his mission. He didn't know why that upset him, but it did. 

'Your friends would kill us, and my family would disown me.'

'I didn't say we would tell anybody.' 

Malfoy looked scandalised at the thought. 'So, you want to do this in secret?' 

It would be like his fantasies in real life: sneaking around behind everyone's back, yet almost getting caught. Ron and Hermione had been so caught up in each other recently that they hadn't noticed Harry too much anyway. Malfoy wasn't playing Quidditch that year either, so they wouldn't have to worry about it affecting their games. There wasn't a downside that he could see to keeping it secret.

'If it's the only way we can.' 

Malfoy eyed him suspiciously before he answered, 'Okay, fine.'

'Okay,' Harry said, wiping his suddenly sweaty palms down his robes. 'So, we're together?'

'Yeah,' Malfoy agreed with what appeared to Harry as slight disbelief.

'You know that means you can't have Pansy hanging all over you.' 

This statement caused Malfoy to throw him a confused look. 

'I'd get jealous.'

'I expect the same thing,' Malfoy countered, which changed their awkward situation into more of a game of challenging each other. It was comfortable, at least a little more than the previous conversation had been, and Harry could feel himself smile again.

'Nobody hangs all over me,' Harry pointed out. Even Ginny, who, despite the fact that she had a boyfriend, obviously liked him, always kept her distance. It was the only small mercy Harry seemed to have. Though he was told that many girls were after him, none of them were forward enough to wrap their arms around him nor did he lay his head in any of their laps.

'They stare enough.' Malfoy glared accusingly at Harry as if he encouraged everyone to behave that way.

Harry rolled his eyes but didn't lose his upbeat manner. 'I can't stop people from staring.'

Malfoy nodded but continued to glare. They sat in silence, and Harry was thinking about how to get them back to their days when Malfoy spoke in barely a whisper. 

'Everyone loves you ... most people don't much care for me.'

Harry was torn. He had never seen this side of Malfoy before, and he couldn't decide if he was being truthful or if it was just for his mission and he was trying to get to Harry.

'I'd need…to be constantly reassured…" Malfoy seemed to be forcing himself through it. 'That you want me.'

Harry nodded his acceptance without even having to think about it. Whether it was an act he had practiced well on others before or the first time he'd ever seen something real out of Malfoy, Harry had to accept it as the truth. It was the only way to move forward.

'I can handle it, Draco.'

Malfoy jumped slightly at hearing his given name, and Harry hoped that was a good thing.

'I have a lot of love to give.'

'Only to me,' Malfoy ordered and then added, 'Harry.'

Harry answered him by kissing him.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco wasn't sure what had happened. He had planned that completely differently, and he was sure it would work, but then Potter, being his usual stubborn self, had destroyed it. It still baffled him that Potter thought of him in that way. Draco wasn't surprised that Potter was bent, though it was an odd coincidence since he was himself. It was more the hostility that they had in every encounter. Draco had thought that Potter wore his heart on his sleeve, and he should have noticed some sort of change when Potter began to see him sexually instead of as an enemy. 

Then again, maybe Potter had always liked Draco in that way. He could not figure out why he would refuse to be his friend if he had always been attracted to him.

On Tuesday and Friday nights when they would meet up, Draco studied every move that Potter made. 

Potter bit his lip: a lot. Draco didn't find this cute at all; in fact, it annoyed him. He had to bite the side of his cheek to keep himself from saying anything. It was hard for him not to say anything because as soon as Potter stopped doing one thing that Draco found annoying, he started doing another. 

Then Potter would just look at him with a puzzled look like he wasn't sure what to expect from Draco or he thought Draco was plotting against him. Draco hated this more than the constant fidgeting. He knew there was no way that Potter knew about his mission or that Draco didn't want to be there, but what was with those looks?

'What?'

'Nothing.' Potter blushed and looked down at his hands to pick at the skin around his fingernails. Great, he's fidgeting, again, Draco rolled his eyes and stopped Potter's hands from continuing their mauling. 

Somehow Potter took that as an invitation to feel up Draco's hand, but Draco wasn't allowed to pull away, so he froze as Potter held his hand and slid closer to him. Wonderful, Potter was going to start kissing him again, and he was expected to respond. Potter entwined their fingers and then brought his other hand up to turn Draco's mouth towards his. Draco complied but was stiff and didn't move at all during the first kiss.

'Relax.'

'I am relaxed,' Draco said, and he wished it had come out more sternly and not so much like a plea. 

Potter quirked an eyebrow at him, clearly amused. 'If this is you relaxed, I would hate to see you uptight.' Potter kissed him again with little response from Draco. 

'Draco, what are you afraid of? I'm not going to hurt you. And you always enjoy yourself.' 

That was true. Eventually, Draco would give in and relax.

'You're not still in denial, are you?' 

What? He wasn't sure how to even respond to that. 

'About being bent?'

Oh. 'No.'

After a moment, Potter asked, 'Is anyone asking you where you've been?'

'No, it's nothing like that. Nobody suspects anything.' 

Potter gave him a worried look. 

'Just because I don't tell everyone that I'm bent doesn't mean I'm in denial. I'm not trying to fight against it.' 

Potter pulled Draco closer and put his arm around him. Since they had started talking, Draco had become less stiff, but still didn't relax into Potter's embrace. It didn't stop him from running his hand down Draco's arm or breathing against his neck. Potter was constantly touching him. His face or hands and arms. Draco had thought Pansy was clingy, but it had already surpassed the point where Potter made more physical contact with him than anyone else, not just sexually either – more the hand holding and just holding in general.

'Then, what is wrong?'

'Nothing.' Draco tried to pull away, but Potter held him in place. 'I'm just not used to being touched so much.'

'You don't like me touching you?' Potter asked accusation in his tone.

'Of course, I like it,' Draco said quickly. 

Potter stared at him, obviously not believing him. 'You don't act like it.' 

Then to prove his point, he tucked a strand of Draco's hair behind his ear and let his finger lightly drag across his cheek, which caused Draco to tense once again.

'Can't you accept that I'm nervous?'

Potter laughed. 'I make you nervous?'

'Yes.' Draco had learned that Potter did, in fact, make him very nervous. He was nervous, in general, ever since he'd received his mission.

'I'm sorry.' Potter looked as though he _was_ sorry. 'But I won't quit touching you. People need to be touched, and I like touching you.'

'I didn't say that I wanted you to stop.'

'Good, because I won’t.'

#

It surprised Draco how easy it was to hide everything they were doing from everyone around them. He had already been quiet and reserved that year, so the fact that they were non-confrontational in the halls went unnoticed by everyone. Potter's demeanor didn't seem to change even though they were meeting up. In the halls, he completely ignored Draco. Which bothered Draco, it always had, but more so now because he didn't want to call attention to them. Normally, when Potter was walking around being glorified by everyone around him, Draco would cause a scene, but now he knew things he shouldn't know and was doing things he shouldn't be doing with Potter. He was too afraid he'd slip and say something that would give them away.

It had nothing to do with Potter, but it got worse for Draco the longer it continued. He tried to pretend that Potter was just another guy, but it wouldn't have changed the situation. He tried messing around with other guys on the side, but that just made him feel like an arse, as well as dirty and used. It would have been enjoyable had it been his choice, but that was what was bothering him. It wasn't his choice; he couldn't say "no" and he couldn't be himself around Potter. 

The constant fear that Potter would call everything off if Draco messed up, mixed with his unwillingness to be there was making Draco physically ill. Eventually, he would snap and say something insulting Potter. He couldn't hold back forever. 

They sat on the couch in The Room of Requirement. It always gave them a bed, but they never used it. Potter showed Draco the room, but Draco had already known of it himself. He had been curious about it when Potter used it for his secret meetings the previous year. He hadn't realised that it could become anything you wanted until Potter took him there. It had always turned into the same room for him before, and he'd thought that was the only room it ever became.

They idly made fake conversation about things that either didn't happen or that they didn't care about, while they sat on the couch. Then they would start kissing, and that would turn them on, but they never took it farther than coming in their pants from rubbing against each other. It amazed Draco that he was even able to accomplish that, with all of his conflicted feelings about what he was doing. He was a teenaged boy, though, and he did get lost in the sensations when he concentrated on that instead of the hopeless situation he was in.

'I want,' Potter breathed, and Draco tensed, but they continued as if Potter had said nothing at all. Draco knew what he wanted; it was the same thing that Draco wanted: more control in the situation. 

Though Potter would use that to push their relationship further, and Draco would use it to run far away. They had been going for two months, and it was only a matter of time before Potter asked for more. It surprised Draco that Potter had been as patient with him as he was. 

'I want you to suck me,' Potter whispered in his ear, which caused Draco to stop responding immediately, but he didn't pull away. He was stunned that Potter had the nerve to say that. It was a rather big leap from what they had been doing so far.

Draco thought about it before he nodded his head shakily. Potter undid his trousers as a challenge, expecting Draco to back down at any second. If this were a real relationship, Draco would want to do this for Potter, and he knew that. Had Draco not been lying about fancying Potter and dreaming about doing just what Potter had asked, Draco might have made the attempt to say he wasn't ready. But he had already said all of those things in an attempt to make Potter blush in the first few weeks of their relationship. Draco had achieved his goal then, but like with most of the things he's said in his life, he regretted them afterward.

'Excited much?' Draco attempted to tease before he touched Potter for the first time. Potter didn't answer and just stared at Draco, waiting for him to make the next move. When Draco kneeled down in front of him, Draco was immediately reminded of the first and only time Pansy had ever done this for him. They'd been fourteen and had been dating for a few months. It was time to move their relationship to the next level, and also the cause of their break up. 

Draco leaned over and took Potter into his mouth, which made him want to vomit right there. It wasn't particularly disgusting, but he did not want to do it. He felt powerless and weak. It was worse that Potter technically wasn't doing anything wrong; Draco wanted to hate him more for what he was doing, but he couldn't. He knew that Potter wasn't the one using him and that he _had_ feelings for Draco. Potter wouldn't make Draco do this if he knew how set against it he was, but Draco refused to tell him. 

Would it be bad to admit that he was too scared to do this? Potter wasn't the type of person to hold something like that over him, not like Draco had with Pansy.

'You like that?' Potter said in a harsh tone that surprised Draco. He sounded angrier than someone should on the brink of orgasm, which Draco could tell he was. 'You like being my little whore?' 

Potter's quick change in demeanor confused him. He had heard him use that tone with him plenty of times before, but never during their time alone together. 

'Yes,' Potter moaned, as Draco finally put together what he hadn't been able to make sense of before, Potter started to move faster and harder into Draco's mouth, proving how close he was to coming. 

It helped confirm what he had just figured out. Voldemort never said that Potter had a _crush_ on him. Neither had Potter. That was why he could not pinpoint a time when Potter's feelings had changed toward him because they had never changed. Potter thought about Draco when he wanked because of his anger toward Draco. He imaged he had power over Draco like he wanted to in real life. It was about humiliation, not love. Somewhere in the middle of his epiphany, he began to cry.

Suddenly Potter stopped, grabbed Draco's arms, and pulled Draco off of him and up onto his lap. Potter wrapped his arms around him, and then he started to wipe the tears off Draco's face and kiss him where they'd been before. Draco was too stunned from his sudden revelation even to move, and new tears were coming so fast that Potter alternated between kissing them and wiping them away.

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,' Potter whispered with concern in his voice. 'Draco?'

Draco could hear Potter, but did not respond as too many things ran through his head at once. He once again ran through all the things he had studied about Potter in the last two months. He looked for clues as to what Voldemort really had expected of him in the conversation they had about his mission. He tried to shake it all away when Potter started to stroke his hair. 

'I'm so sorry, baby.' 

"Baby" was the last thing Draco wanted to hear at that moment. It was yet another parallel between them and what he had done to Pansy when they were together. He already felt bad enough about it and didn't need to be put in her position in the situation, but out of everything it was easier to think about that than Voldemort. Or what Potter had probably been thinking a few minutes before his regretful loving side came out.

She had started crying. She was too young and not ready to go that far with him yet. It was her idea, and he didn't want to do it at first. He had never really been that interested in her and didn't want to have their relationship go any farther than it was. But, after she started he changed his mind. Then she started crying!

_'Don't be such a baby, Pansy.'_

_'I'm sorry,' she sobbed. 'I'm sorry._

_'I thought you wanted this?'_

_'I did,' she defended as she started to get her sobs under control. 'I'm just not ready.'_

_'Well then,' Draco had said, 'maybe I'm not ready for a relationship.'_

'I didn't mean it, baby, I'm sorry.' Potter continued talking and consoling him and saying all the right things. They were wrong at the same time because Draco couldn't get the memory of Pansy out of his head. 'I thought you wanted this.' Draco had said that he wanted it, but that had been a lie. If Potter knew anything about him at all, he would have been able to tell that. Nothing that Draco had said up to that point had been the truth. Draco couldn't decide whether or not he should be angry about that. So Potter didn't know anything about him, but Draco spent most of his time making sure that no one knew anything about him. He glorified in the fact that everyone, even those closest to him, knew nothing about him.

'Who would want that?' Draco finally responded though he was not sure if he was talking to Potter, or to the memory of himself and what he had done to Pansy. He curled up in Potter's lap and buried his face in Potter's neck and cried. He cried harder than he had ever cried before, until he was shaking and sobbing for the hopeless situation he was in. He cried for the person he used to be and the guilt he was finally feeling for it. Then came the realisation that anyone else would have laughed, but Potter cared enough to console him, even though Potter hated him. Though Voldemort lied about the reason he wanted Draco to seduce Potter, maybe he had not been lying about what he expected to be the outcome.

'I'm sorry,' he kept whispering, as Draco thought the same thing, but kept it silently in his head. He was sorry for all the lies he had told before but more that he knew he was going to continue to lie to Potter for much longer.

#

Draco walked into the Slytherin common room and passed everyone by, ignoring them, just like always. Pansy had her bag over her shoulder and was walking towards the exit when he grabbed her arm from behind and spun her around to face him. Before she could utter the slightest protest, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.

He had never hugged her before.

He had not even attempted to touch her willingly before, just allowed her to hang on him. Though he had stopped letting her do that a few weeks prior and he knew it shocked her to have him randomly hug her when he never had before.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered, and he felt her stiffen. Draco never apologised for anything. 'I'm sorry for how I broke up with you,' he explained since he knew she was confused without even looking at her. 'I love you like a sister. I didn't know how to tell you that then.' In fact, he had not known that then. It had taken him a long time to figure that out. After he'd quit fighting his urges to be with boys, he realised he had always been more worried about her feelings than the boys he did things with. He could never really be with her, though, and was nasty to try and push her away. 

'I'm sorry for the way I've treated you,' Draco said. 'Can you forgive me?'

'I forgave you a long time ago, Draco.' 

He was still holding her with no sign of letting go, and she was then hugging him back. The entire common room was watching them, but he didn't care. Had it been slightly different, Pansy would have been squealing for joy instead of close to tears, but he was finally setting things right. 

'What's her name?' she asked after he loosened his grip. He pulled back to look at her face to give her a confused look. 'The girl that caused this change in you.'

He didn't want to lie to her, but couldn't tell her the truth. He had never told her about any of the guys he messed around with but had it been any other guy then he would have told her his name.

'There's no girl,' he said instead.


	3. Chapter 3

Potter was already in the room waiting for Draco when he got there. That's how it normally went, although, that time Draco had seriously debated about whether to meet up with him or not. He felt vulnerable around him ever since his breakdown. Draco had never let anyone see him break down before and had certainly not let anyone hold him through it.

Draco had done a lot of thinking in between their last visit and this one. He blamed the Dark Lord for the entire incident, not Potter. Had he been thirteen, he would have blamed Potter, just as he used to blame him for everything, even if it had nothing to do with him. Now, when Potter was also at fault, he couldn't bring himself to be angry with him. This was growing up: being able to look at things from another perspective and learning that things you believed to be true as a child were false. He was growing up, and it hurt. Voldemort knew what he was doing and had put Draco in that position, wanting Potter to do what he did. Potter was the one that stopped and comforted Draco when he was hurting. Draco couldn't lie to himself and say that Voldemort was good and the right choice anymore.

Draco sat next to Potter, who slowly closed his book and laid down his quill. 

He did not want to talk about what had happened last time, so when Potter opened his mouth to speak Draco kissed him. It was the first time that he initiated it, and it felt a lot better than all the others because he did. He chose the action because it was easier than talking. Potter let Draco make all the moves. He did not push it farther than kissing, and Draco was happy to have a little control in the situation. 

Just this simple act of kissing, non-passionately, said everything they needed to voice. Potter, by letting Draco be dominate, said that he did not want to hurt him, and Draco, by just showing up and taking control, said that he forgave Potter, and he trusted him.

'I never meant to hurt you,' Harry said.

Draco nodded as Harry sat up next to him.

'You still haven't said a word to me,' he said with a waver in his voice then bit his lip waiting for something.

Draco shifted but remained silent.

'Say something.'

'I'm not mad at you,' Draco faltered as he tried to come up with what he wanted to say. 'I just...'

Harry stared at him while he waited and went back and forth between biting his lip and thumbnail.

'I've been thinking a lot. I suppose.' Draco looked down at the ground going through the same things he had been all week. He had been quiet this year he knew that. Observing people more and trying to figure out what they were thinking. It all stemmed from this information he got about Harry. Before it was just wondering how many people wanted him, but kept it hidden. It was just a self-esteem boost. Even the famous Harry Potter, the one everyone adored, secretly wanted him.

Then that night happened. He realised it had nothing to do with wanting him. When Harry first kissed him, he thought this would be easy. Just give him what he wants and he would die to protect Draco.

But, he did not want Draco. He wanted to humiliate him, like how Draco had done to Harry countless times in front of the whole school. It was not an on going crush like the Dark Lord as made it out to seem. Harry wanted to fuck him. Yes. He wanted to fuck him over so that he could see how it felt. Not that the plan would not work, it was already working. It would just be more difficult, and it also got Draco thinking. How many people thought of him like Harry did? How many did he hurt and they get off on thinking about him doing humiliating things?

'Do you think that a lot of people hate me?' Draco didn't mean to make it sound so pathetic. 'I mean...' 

Why was he so nervous? Why did he feel he needed to talk to Potter about this at all? He should talk to Pansy about it or Blaise.

'Yes.'

That was blunt, and Draco winced. He felt like he was just punched in the gut. It hurt, which was odd. He did not care what other people thought of him. He did not like the idea that they thought up ways to hurt him, though.

'You treat people like they don't matter, and that hurts.'

Harry just admitted to him that he hurt him, and Draco was speechless. He did not think anything he said had ever got to Harry. He did not know anything bothered him at all.

'I'm sure a lot of people, if not the whole school…' Harry looked away from Draco's lulled his head. "Has thought about doing something similar to what I did to you the other night." 

Draco just stared at him stunned.

He could not process that right then. 

It was too much. He'd been under pressure from his father to be the top at everything and act like a proper pure-blood, even though his father was in prison. He much more pressure from the Dark Lord to do this mission, which also caused him a lot of guilt. Then there was Snape, who was constantly trying to get information out of him and "help" him. He also had to worry about his mother that was in constant company with the people that would kill her if he failed this. Then he found out that everyone hated him. The only people that would care if he died were using him, and he wasn't even sure if they cared. Except for his mother who was defenseless, he was in this alone.

'Kiss me,' Draco whispered.

'What?' Harry asked in surprise.

'Remember, I told you. I need constant reassurance?'

He shifted closer to Harry.

'Now, kiss me.'

Draco didn’t realise Harry was pushing him backward until he was on top of him. They were in the same position they were the first time they'd kissed. Only this time they were on a couch, and they were kissing each other softly. In comparison to that time they were on the bathroom floor and everything was rough. Harry moved his tongue against Draco's, and Draco followed his lead. Experimenting with inserting his tongue at different angles. Tilting his head to the left, then switching to the right. Pulling Draco up and closer to him, then switching back to the left.

Harry pulled back to lick up Draco's lips. This caused Draco to moan when Harry returned to kissing him again. Draco was amazed at how good this could feel. He had only been with Pansy previously to Harry, and he had not enjoyed it very much. Harry was holding him. Before he felt constrained, but since he was no longer fighting it, he felt safe.

'Harry?' Draco said is soft, quiet voice, as if he was half hoping that Harry wouldn't hear him.

'Yes?' Harry was stroking Draco's hair and twisting it with the tips of his fingers. 

This could work, and that was bothering Draco. Harry could learn to love him. Very few people loved him, and if Harry did, then he would be setting up someone to die _because_ they loved him.

'I need to tell you something.' Draco exhaled, and Harry kissed him softly on the lips once more.

Harry tensed.

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he continued, 'Voldemort told me to get close to you,' he said, and before Harry could shut him up, he finished, 'So that he could use me as bait to kill you.' 

'I know.' Harry sighed and buried his face into Draco's neck. 'You told me,' he whispered, 'I'm sorry, but I have to do this.'

Did I tell him? Why? What all had he missed and why could he not remember it? He did not notice Harry picking up his wand until he heard the spell. 

Then it was too late.

'Harry?' Draco said, and Harry didn't seem to hear him. He tried again, but Harry cut him off.

'You're really beautiful,' he said, 'you know that?'

Draco nodded but then looked away. 

'Do you want to go to bed? It's getting late.'

'Yeah,' Draco agreed, 'we should go.'

#

Draco didn't know what to do. For a second during his last meeting with Harry, he was going to tell him. He was going to blow his mission all because he felt guilty. It ended up happening frequently. Every time Draco would think about just telling the truth, Harry would find a way to shut him up. It was like Harry could read his mind just by looking at his face knew that he needed to make Draco stop talking.

He was not in love with Harry. That was not it at all. Draco just did not like the idea of being the cause of someone's death. He hated that Harry cared so much about him. He shouldn't. After everything that he had done to Harry; he just forgave him in an instant. The only thing Draco could be thankful for then was that he wasn't faking it anymore. He didn't feel disgusted with himself as he spent time with Harry. He was beginning to enjoy it just as much as Harry seemed to.

Weeks went by, and Christmas was coming. They went to Hogsmeade each with their group of friends. Draco noticed that Harry's friends were absent from his presence, so he ditched his friends when they entered Honeydukes and went to see where he might have gone. He thought nothing of his actions at first. He used to search for Harry wherever he went. It had become a habit long before everything.

What made this different was that he left his friends. He didn't realise how dangerous that was until Draco found him.

He was obviously Christmas shopping for someone. Draco wondered whom he could possibly be for shopping in _The Treasury_. It was a rather obscure expensive place to shop. It happened to be one of his favorite stores, but he had never seen Harry go anywhere near it.  
He entered hoping to go unnoticed as if that was possible. He could see that Harry was looking at miniature dragons before he looked up and noticed Draco on the other side of the store.

Draco turned away and walked farther back into the store. He didn't have to look to know that Harry was following him. They were the only students in the store so he went back far enough that the owner couldn't see him from where he was standing. He hadn't meant for it to be an invitation, but after he had thought it through, maybe it was. Harry was on him, kissing his neck before he even turned him around to claim his mouth.

'Is twice a week really enough for you?' Harry said in between kissing Draco. At first, Draco tried to resist. They were in public, and anyone could walk in and see. 

That thought for some reason turned him on. He switched from fighting to get away to fighting for dominance. He backed Harry up against the nearest wall and held his hand against it taking control of their kissing. Harry let him, and when Draco opened his eyes, he saw that Harry was grinning.

'No, it's not,' Draco answered after he pulled back and rested his forehead against Harry's. 'We really shouldn't do this here.'

'It seems I found one of your kinks, though,' Harry teased as he pressed up against him. 'Public places?'

'I think it's more the idea of getting caught,' Draco answered, pulling back and crossing his arms defensively. They needed distance between them or Draco would let Harry take him farther there in the store then he had yet in private. 'Why're you here anyway?'

Harry shrugged and looked away shyly. 'Shopping what else?'

That was when it hit him. Harry wanted to buy something for Draco. 

Nothing in that store would have been interesting to anyone else that Harry was a friend with. He glanced back over at the Dragons. 

'What?' Harry got a nervous look on his face.

'The dragons are nice, but I have dozen of them.' He smiled slightly. 'I can't even tell them apart anymore.'

#

Harry had wanted it to be a surprise. That stunned look that he had just seen on Draco's face. He wanted to see when they were alone and had given him whatever he picked out for him. He felt stupid for even thinking about getting him something then. Draco probably had not given it any thought.

The thing was that Harry didn't care. He knew that Draco would most likely not get him anything. It didn't change the fact that he wanted to get something for him. He liked seeing people smile, and he really liked to be the reason they smiled. Recently he realised that he hardly ever saw Draco smile and when he did it was forced. He wanted to see a real one. Then he knew that Draco would not have been impressed by what he had selected. He knew nothing about him just as much as how many other people that got him the same thing.

'Good to know,' Harry mumbled still not looking at Draco.

'I do actually like dragons,' Draco added, 'The Arctic are my favorite.' He sighed and rubbed his nose. 'I didn't expect…'

'I know you didn't.' Harry turned to walk back towards the front of the store. 'That wasn't why I wanted to do it.'

Draco grabbed his arm to stop him, but didn't know how to nor get a chance to respond, because the bell on the door rang. He released Harry, who walked right past Blaise and Pansy and out the door.

Then he joined his friends, walking around town while he thought of what he should get Harry. Even if Harry decided that he was not going to get him anything, Draco wanted to then. They were dating. It was what they were supposed to do. He knew absolutely nothing about Harry. When buying something for a lover, it should be personal.

The only thing he could think of was candy and Quidditch; both were idiotic ideas. He decided he would try to find something over Christmas break. Until then he would try to find out all he could about Harry.

At the same time, he was still plagued by the thought: he had to end this.

The guilt was constant, and it was becoming unbearable. It was obvious to him that Harry was falling for him fast. He had tried to keep it purely physical and let nothing real transpire between them. Yet at random moments Harry would pop out with something unbelievably sincere. It always seemed completely out of place, and he could not get over the feeling that he was missing something.

In the hallways, he tried to avoid Harry. If he quit fighting with him, everyone would find it odd. So as long as he didn't see him, no one could call him out on it. During meals sometimes his friends would say some insult about Harry, but Draco only grunted in response. He would still fling insults when he had to, but the were halfhearted at best. 

Draco had a feeling that Harry could tell though no one else could.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry never mentioned Draco’s random insults, that he still threw at him in the hallways, when they were alone. He knew what Draco would say. That it was a front, and he had to do it. What bothered Harry was that it was the other way around. Draco had to spend time with him, and the insults were real. He noticed that things had changed though and that Draco was doing it more out of habit. The words did not hold the spiteful tone he was used to hearing.

He would catch Draco looking at him funny from across the great hall during meals. It was not the longing look of a lover, but one of obvious confusion. Sometimes he wished it were the first. That would have been bad, though. Someone would notice that. No one noticed their disappearances and that Harry was grateful for. Harry wasn't sure how far he should take this. Since "the incident" as he called it to himself, he never spoke of it out loud, they had not gone past kissing.

The first time Harry undid his belt, Draco tensed obviously frighten. It caused Harry's stomach to twist so he started to undo his own trousers instead.

This didn't help Draco relax at all.

They never really talked, but there was nothing they could talk about either. Harry was too afraid that if they did he would have to Obliviate Draco again, or they'd fight. It would be more likely that they would fight. Harry did not want to think about why he did not want to fight with Draco either.

When he tried to put his hand down Draco's pants, Draco stopped him and pulled back. 

'Wait,' Draco said.

Harry sighed and sat back as Draco thought of what to say.

'I'm not ready.' He winced after he said it. 

That was nothing compared to what they had already done. Draco looked as though he were about to apologise, so Harry cut him off.

'It's okay. I'm not trying to push you.' Harry pulled Draco close to him again and started to kiss his neck right behind his ear. 'We don't have to do what we did before.' Harry groaned as he squeezed Draco tighter against him. 'I just want to touch you.' 

He slid his hand down again and under Draco's pants until it came into contact with his skin. Draco gasped, though if it was from pleasure or fear Harry was unsure.

After a couple minutes fumbling, it was definitely pleasure, and he could tell Draco was already close to coming. Draco slipped his hand into Harry's pants. It did not take much for either of them at that point. Somehow in the midst of everything, Harry had found his way on top of Draco. He stared down into his eyes, and Draco slowly got uncomfortable with the situation.

'You're really beautiful,' Harry said, hoping to get Draco's thoughts away from whatever had started bothering him again. Harry sighed to himself when it didn't work, and then he knew that Draco was feeling guilty. He wanted to tell Harry the truth again. The last time this happened, Harry had to erase it, and it shouldn't have bothered him that much.

It did, though.

Draco had seemed real, and Harry knew that they had a moment. Then he lost it. Or rather he stole it from Draco. He wanted to give it back. He loved that he knew more about Draco than anyone else. It was just not enough. Draco needed to know that Harry knew more about him than anyone else.

'I could fall in love with you,' Harry said, and then forced Draco into a passionate kiss before he could protest or even begin to feel guilty about his mission. It was not the same as the first moment they'd shared, but he got to keep that one. It was safe.

#

Their last meeting before their Christmas break was tense. It seemed they both wanted to talk, but neither knew how to start a conversation with the other.

'What're you doing for Christmas?' Draco asked first.

Harry had shrugged before he answered. 'Spending it with the Weasley's like always.' They had not mentioned the idea of Christmas since they had run into each other at the shop. 'You?'

'Home,' Draco said. 'We used to go to France to visit my father's cousins, but with everything.'

'Yea,' Harry agreed not wanting him to continue with that train of thought. The war was a bad subject no matter how he looked at it. 'So what kind of things do Slytherins normally get each other?' Harry laughed. 'I can't even picture attempting to shop for Goyle or Pansy.'

Draco smirked. 'Crabbe and Goyle are easy; anything that they can eat works well.'

Harry laughed. Of course. 

'I did make the mistake of getting them books one year.' Draco rolled his eyes at the memory. 

'Ron's a little like them I guess. He likes food, but he enjoys a good Quidditch book as well.' Harry moved closer and pulled Draco in between his legs. They got into the habit of spending their time on the bed instead of the couch. It had more room and was more comfortable. Harry was leaning against the headboard with Draco's back against his chest.

'Pansy is also surprisingly easy,' Draco said. 'Anything from another country will do. She's never been outside of Scottland, so it makes her feel incredibly exotic to own things from around the world. Blaise is the difficult one. He's like me. We already have everything that we want - material wise.' He mused that thought for a while. 'I can't think of anything that I've really wanted in years.'

'Material or at all?'

'Material, there're a lot of things I want.' Draco sighed and leaned farther into Harry, letting his head fall back against Harry and turning his face into his neck inhaling his scent. 'Just nothing that can be bought.'

'Like what?' Harry whispered as he tried to look down at Draco. It put his neck in an awkward angle. 

Draco looked back up but left his head on Harry's shoulder while he remained silent contemplating it. 

'My father to be home,' he said first; it was the most obvious. Harry could have thought of that himself. 'To hear the words, "I love you" and believe them, or to be able to trust someone and not wonder how they are going to use everything I say against me somehow.'

Harry hadn't expected Draco to pour his soul out to him, but Draco was staring off into the distance, more like he was just thinking aloud than actually talking to Harry.

'I used to beg my parents for a sibling when I was really young. That's when they introduced me to Crabbe and Goyle. Goyle's my cousin, and I knew him, but we hadn't spent time together outside of Christmas holidays before then.' Draco closed his eyes and turned his face back into Harry's neck. 'I'd like someone that wanted to spend time with me without getting paid for it.'

Harry stiffened as he thought over everything he was saying. 'You don't actually believe that your dad pays them to be your friends do you?' Harry pushed Draco back so that he could look at his face.

'I know he does.' Draco waved it off as if it was nothing important. 'They have to be nice to me no matter what I do them. Pansy is just the same only she doesn't get money. She's hoping that our parents will arrange a marriage between us.'

Harry was confused then. Why did she bother with Draco at all? Why not just suck up to his parents?

'If it looks like where friends then they'll think they're doing me a favour. It doesn't matter, anyway. I'm bent and wouldn't like who they picked no matter what.'

Harry was extraordinary relieved to find out that. It didn't mean he was attracted to Harry, but Harry being a bloke probably made the situation easier. He had figured that he must have been bisexual, or he would not have done everything that they already had. Yet, he had tried to get out of it in the beginning and did say that he could hold a grudge.

'I'm not sure really what to call Blaise. He is more of an acquaintance. We talk, but just like Pansy I can't trust him. I enjoy spending time with him more than the others, though.'

'Why?'

'He can hold an intelligent conversation, and since he wants nothing from me is completely honest with me. He's the only person that insults me.'

'So you like him because he insults you?' Harry shook his head in confusion that anyone could think like that. Then he thought about all the things that Draco had said about him over the years. There were plenty of people that were much more pathetic than Harry, but he did not bother antagonising them all.

'It's messed up, I know. It's just I can tell he cares about me more than they do. If he didn't, he wouldn't waste his breath. You know?' It seemed to make perfect sense to Draco.

'By insulting you?'

Draco nodded.

'He's not the one that cares the most about you.' Harry looked down at his hands. 'You already have most of those things you said that wanted.'

Draco looked up at him confused then. Harry wrapped his arms around him and kissed his neck then held him tight as he whispered, 

'I love you.'

'No.' Draco started shaking. 'No, no, no.'

Harry knew that he had to shut Draco up, or he would have to erase that moment too. He did as he normally did and shoved his tongue in his mouth when he opened it to talk. Draco tried to push him off, but Harry was stronger than him and was going to get his way. When he finally allowed Draco to breathe, Draco started talking and did not let Harry stop him.

'Promise me that you won't try to save me,' Draco said sternly.

'No,' Harry said forcefully. 'I will never promise that.'

'Harry, you have to. Believe me, I can take care of myself.'

'Draco, I love you.' He felt like he was about to cry, but then Draco did.  
It was completely silent, but Harry was staring right at him so there was no way he could miss it.

'Everyone I love is in danger because I love them, and I refuse to let anything happen to you.'

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'No!' Harry yelled as Draco opened his mouth. 'We're not going to lose this.' He was frustrated with the entire situation. He wanted the sweet moments with him, but they needed the cold version of him to preserve them. 'So just shut up!'

It worked Draco was stunned and glared up at Harry. He refused to talk for the rest of the night as Harry held him and would kiss him in random places. Never on the mouth, though, because Draco was mad and he knew that he wouldn't kiss him back even if he were letting Harry hold him. And that would have hurt too much.

#

'Harry!' Ginny called up the stairs at the Burrow Christmas morning. 'It's time to open the presents and Ron said we can't start without you.'

He had been awake for hours but pretended to be asleep so that he could have a few moments alone. Ron always complained about the mass of people that he lived with, but Harry had always enjoyed their company. It kept him busy so that he did not have time to think about the less pleasant things in life.

'I'll be right down,' Harry called back as he finished pulling his shirt over his head. That break helped Harry understand Ron's need for privacy that he complained about all the time. He had a lot to think about, which was impossible when constantly surrounded by people. If he was quiet too long, they bugged him about it so he spent a lot of time pretending to sleep or going for walks. That didn't seem to bother them as much.

When he got downstairs, they were all gathered together in the living room. He wondered what Draco was doing then. Which was what he had spent most of his time doing that week. He pictured his family sitting together much like the Weasley's were except all stiff and formal. The thought made him want to laugh.

He sat by Ron on the couch then Ginny sat next to him. He thought nothing of that at first. It was not until they were midway through opening presents that he noticed she kept brushing his arm with hers. It was easy to not notice while everyone was shuffling around, but it seemed that she got impatient with his lack of acknowledgment. The last time she slowly drug her arm against his and then back again.

He definitely noticed that.

When he turned to give her a curious look, she smiled at him. After that he jumped up out of his seat, he began mumbling something about a drink so he could escape to the kitchen. 

He had never given her any reason to believe that he would like her like that, had he? 

It was a conscious decision to never flirt with anyone. He didn't want them to get hurt. While he got and gulped a glass of water down, he racked his brain as to what he could have done to prompt this. When he came up with nothing, he just stood there and tried to figure out what to do. Which of course took too long and Ginny had come to look for him.

'Hey,' she said as she walked across the kitchen towards him. He had no idea how he had not seen it coming. It was not like she hid the fact she liked him, but she had never been so forward before. If he could really consider a brush of her arm forward, which of course he did.

'Hey,' he mumbled then turned to refill his glass once more. 

She mistook his nervousness as a sign that he was also interested in her. Really who wouldn't have thought the same in that situation? She reached out to touch his arm once more his reflexes swatted it away. 

Before she could voice her confusion, Harry confronted her, 'Aren't you with Dean?'

'That hasn't really been going well.' 

That was news to him; they'd seemed fine when they were snogging in the back booth of Hogshead just before the holidays. 'We're on a break right now. It might be indefinite.'

'I'm, um ...' He almost had let "I'm in love with someone else" out. Then thought better of that one. Which also ruled out "I'm seeing someone" being that both of those would have raised questions he wasn't ready to handle at that point. 'You know how I've been distance lately?' 

She didn't even have to think about that. 'Yes,' she said the hopefulness obvious in her voice. 

'Well,' Harry continued. 'I've been thinking….'


	5. Chapter 5

She was so sure that he had been thinking about her. He had been so tense around her for months and just recently had trouble when he attempted to look her in the eye. Sure signs that he was thinking not so innocent things about her. It was something that she had achieved a lot of experience in from being around him.

'I - maybe this would be easier if I just did it all at once,' he said more to himself than her.

She followed him after he walked right past her toward the living room. Did what? Was he going to ask Ron's permission first or something? She rolled her eyes that sounded just like something he would do. Ron was always getting in her way. According to Dean, Ron had been miserable to deal with when they started to date. 

'Ron,' Harry said, 'we need to talk.' 

Ron caught sight of Ginny scowling at him from behind Harry. Ron shook his head and then looked at Hermione, who shrugged before he began to shake his head more violently.

'No!' Ron finally said. 'No, you can't. You're my best mate.'

'What?' Harry backed up as Ron stood. 'I haven't even said anything yet.'

'You don't have to.' Ron waved his arms toward Ginny. It was so obvious to everyone what had happened. 'You're dating my sister.'

Ron looked at her then as Harry sputtered, 'I'm not dating your sister.'

'Is that why you broke up with Dean then?' Ron's words drowned out Harry's. 

'Yes.' Ginny just knew that Ron would react badly and held him in her steady glare. He had no right to interfere with her love life, and Harry would have asked her out by then if it weren't for Ron.

At first, their mum attempted to calm them down, but since no one listened to her, the rest of the family just watched and waited to see how the drama would play out. Ron was yelling at Harry, who kept shaking his head, and Ginny was yelling at Ron that:

'You have no business telling him or me who we can or can't date!'

'Thank you, Ginny, but--' Harry tried to cut in.

'I do to have a say. He's my best mate and not allowed to touch my sister!' 

'I don't want to touch her,' Harry started louder that time, but since he was nowhere near the volume of Ron, his words went unnoticed.

'It's my body and he can touch it if he wants to!' Then she turned toward Harry ready to prove it right then and there, but Harry backed away from her.

'No,' Harry said, 'Stop!'

Which, in the then silence of the room, was more of a shock than their fight had been.

'I don't want to touch Ginny. I'm bent!' He stood there still with his hands up defensively against Ginny's presence. The rest of the family sat in stunned silence as if they were watching a Muggle film. Sometime before Fred or George, maybe it was both of them, summoned a tray full of pastries and pretzels from the kitchen.

'What?' Both Ron and Ginny said at the same time with identical tones.

'That's what I'd been thinking over recently.' Harry looked at Ginny. 'That's why I've been going off alone and avoiding, not just you, but everyone. I just needed time alone to think. I fancy boys and not girls. I'm sure of that now.'

'Wait,' Ron suddenly responded. 'You don't fancy one of my brothers do you?'

Harry silently shook his head no as Ginny felt her chest cave in. 

'But,' Ginny said, 'you had a thing for Cho for the longest time. You have to fancy girls.'

'Which was something I had to think about. I fell for her during a Quidditch match, but when I had a shot with her it turned out that I wasn't that interested in her.' 

'That doesn't mean you don't like girls at all. Just that you don't like her.'

'Right,' Harry said, 'except it was all the female parts of her that I didn't like. Sure, she liked Quidditch, but that is pretty much where our similarities ended. I didn't enjoy kissing her, and I never thought of doing more with her. Now that I have . . .'

He had? Done _more_ with someone?

'It's not me, is it?' Ron asked after everyone let the information sink in.

'No.' Harry sighed. 'It's not like that; I just figured it out.'

'Well,' Ron said. 'How'd you figure it out if you're not attracted to anyone?' 

Ginny was suddenly glad her brother was there, asking all the questions she was thinking but was suddenly unable to say. Speaking at all seemed to escape her.

'I didn't say that I wasn't attracted to anyone.' Harry began to blush. 'Just not anyone here.'

Ron's mouth worked as he tried to pepper Harry with questions, but their mum stopped him. 'That's enough, dear. Harry has said enough; he'll tell you when he's ready.' She nodded and tried to get everyone back into the friendly moods they were previous to that conversation. But it seemed even she wasn't up to the task.

#

Every time Harry and Ron were alone it was uncomfortable. 

Harry knew that Ron didn't mean to push Harry away, but it hurt just the same. When he pictured telling everyone, Harry hadn't expected any of them to be bothered by the _liking blokes_ part. He was sure the _liking Draco_ part would cause some problems, however.

'Ron, you're being ridiculous,' Hermione said.

Harry had just left the room but had no intention of actually going downstairs. He just couldn't handle the tension anymore.

'So what if he's gay? That doesn't mean he is attracted to you!'

'That's what he said.'

'Well, then maybe you should listen to him.'

Ron didn't say anything to that.

'Are you attracted to every girl you ever see?'

'No,' he stated quietly, 'but...'

'But nothing,' she interrupted. 'He looks at you like a brother and not in that way at all.'

'But, we've changed in the same room together. We all shower together after Quidditch.' 

Harry let his head fall back against the wall. He'd never thought about any of them like that. They were his friends and not people he had the slightest romantic interest in. It hadn't even crossed his mind this would be an issue.

'And like I said do you check out every girl that walks by?'

'I would if they were naked.'

Harry almost laughed at that. He would notice _anyone_ if they were walking down the street naked. In the locker rooms, it was just different. Everyone was naked there, and it had never been a big deal.

'He didn't even know before, don't you think if he were checking you all out he would have known?' Hermione pointed out.

'Who do you think it is then?'

'What do you mean?'

'He obviously fancies someone. If you had to guess, who do you think it is?' 

Harry held his breath as he waited for Hermione to guess. She was perceptive. She might be able to figure it out.

'I don't know. It's not like I know his type to have anything to go on.'

'Yeah, just male.'

'Oh, shove it.'

The last day before the end of Christmas break, they went shopping as always. Except that time, Harry was looking for something. Hermione was the first to notice and while Ron was distracted she confronted him about it.

'It's nothing,' Harry assured her.

'You know if you need any help I'm here,' she said. 'If you don't know what he likes, then what about jewelry? It's always fashionable.'

Harry rolled his eyes.

'They have bracelets for men; they're popular with the muggle boys.'

'What about a ring?'

'I don't know Harry,' she said sympathetically. 'Rings symbolize commitment.'

'Do they?' he asked feigning naivety.

#

The moment Draco got home with his mother, he turned and embraced her. It shocked her at first; he had not done that since he was about thirteen.

'I love you, mother.' 

She gasped and then held him tight unsure of why he was acting that way. 'I love you too, Draco,' she whispered. 'What brought this on?'

He tilted his head as he pulled away. 'I've been thinking, and I realised it had been a while since I let you know that.' 

It was more like never. Though she smiled instead of saying such a thing. 'How's school been?' She started instead as they walked idly through the Manor toward the sitting room.

'Good.' They were close, and he wrote her once a week, so they didn't have a lot to catch up on. Still, she knew he was holding something back from her. He had a lot going on with the Dark Lord taking him in to replace his father. Whatever his task was, it must not be going well. She tried not to let it bother her while they were together. Right then, she wanted to enjoy the time they had.

#

It was odd being at home for Christmas and even stranger with his father not there. Friends came and went wishing them a Happy Christmas, but they didn't go to visit family. They decorated their manor themselves, well parts of it. Normally they let the house elves do all the decorating while they went out shopping. His mother didn't feel up to leaving the manor even to shop.

Then the Dark Lord was there, and there was no escaping him.

'How is your mission going?' he asked Draco, after dinner when he'd had the others take leave of them.

'Perfectly, my Lord,' Draco said, as the Dark Lord nodded then lifted his wand.

'Show me.' Then he jumped into Draco's mind and shifted through all his encounters with Harry. It was painful having his memories ripped through and then paused to see in slow motion some of their more private moments. He left nothing unturned. Draco wanted to fight and keep some of that private. Particularly the part when Harry told him he loved him, but the Dark Lord found it. He played that part over and over again and began to laugh. Draco clenched his teeth and attempted to keep his anger under control. Voldemort could see his memories, but he couldn't feel his emotions. Though lashing out in any way would ruin everything.

'You asked him not to save you? Why?' 

Draco had not thought that part through, but he had always been good at thinking on his feet.

'To make it more believable my Lord,' Draco explained. Harry had known him since he was eleven and even with them being together he would notice if Draco acted too much unlike himself. 'He would know it was a trick if I acted like some damsel in distress.'

The Dark Lord nodded at this and then sent him away.

A few days later, he had managed to forget all about the Dark Lord and concentrate on what he wanted to get Harry. Harry didn't have a lot; it should have been easy. He could use some proper clothes, but that might make people ask too many questions. Maybe even new shoes, though it would irritate Draco to no end his shoes not matching any of his clothes. That's if he would even wear them. Draco had a horrible mental image of Harry faking a smile with that one. He figured that Granger probably always bought him books and Weasley's gave him all the Quidditch gear and candy he could want.

When it came to nonmaterial things, there was only one thing he could give him: himself. And not even completely, because he was already marked, and he couldn't take that away. It was a hard decision even after he had decided against buying him anything.

The last two days before he was to return to school his mother decided they should go to France. Draco was surprised but agreed he had not thought about this being her orders from the Dark Lord until it was time to go back. He needed to return, and she made no attempt to take him. He was packed and ready and getting more nervous by the minute.

'Mother, when are we leaving?' he said nonchalantly.

'I thought you'd like a little extra holiday.'

'I need to get back to school,' he insisted.'I would rather not have to catch up on work a week late.'

'Oh, I was only thinking a day.' She sat calmly as he began to have a panic attack. It was happening. They were going to attack Harry then.

'I really need to get back to school.' 

'I thought you hated it there.'

'I do, but.' How did he explain this without worrying her too much? Then her expression changed from confusion to understanding, and it seemed that he didn't have to explain himself this time.

'Draco?' She took his hand.

'Yes?'

'You know your happiness is what is the most important to me?'

He nodded.

'Your father as well, even if he does not show it.'

'This has nothing to do with that,' Draco said. 'I just don't want to fall behind in my classes.'

'Whatever you decided we will support you, I promise.' She ignored his protest and then went to gather her things. He watched her, confused about her sudden change of heart.

'Will he get mad?' Draco whispered.

'That you go back earlier than planned? No, he just said to make you late, not how late you had to be.'

Draco sighed in relief and hoped that Harry did not rush off looking for him before he got there. His stomach was in knots nonetheless.

'I know what you're supposed to do, Draco. And I know that you've done it.'

He blushed and looked away. There were some things about himself that he had never wanted his mother to know. That was one of the major ones.

'If you want out,' she continued. 'We can always run.'

He didn't want out. He didn't like the idea of being used as bait either, but he would be more worried if he was far away and could do nothing.

No, he wanted to go back.

So she gathered her things and sent them home as he got his and they went back to Hogwarts.

'It's better this way,' his mother said as they finally arrived there early the next morning. There were a lot of safeguards around getting to Hogwarts to keep people from just popping in. 'I needed to talk to Severus anyway, so after I explain why you're late. I'll have a chance to speak with him.' She kissed him on the cheek and sent him on his way as she turned to head towards the headmaster's office.


	6. Chapter 6

'Harry, calm down,' Hermione said. 'You're going to rip that book to shreds. What has gotten you so nervous?' 

Harry had been fiddling with the corner of his book while staring across the Great Hall where Draco usually sat. He wasn't on the train, and he hadn't made it to dinner that night either.

'It's nothing,' Harry said, but then moved to get up. "I'm going to head to bed. I'm tired.'

His friends nodded him "goodnight" and watched him hurry out of the hall.

'What do you think is up with him?' Ron asked, finally seeming worried about his friend again.

'I don't know, but he's keeping something from us.'

'What else could he possibly be hiding?' 

'I don't know, I think he's seeing someone,' she said, but kept quiet about who. "After all, why tell us now and not before?'

Out in the hall, Harry pulled out his map and scanned it for Draco's name. It was nowhere to be found still he went to the Room of Requirement just in case. Draco was not there either. He paced back and forth as he tried to decide what to do. Draco could be in trouble, and he should find him, but that was just what Voldemort wanted him to do. And he had no idea where to look for him.

He eventually lay on the bed then tossed and turned all night. Three times he woke up from nightmares about what Voldemort might be doing to Draco. They were not visions, though, just dreams. 

Then finally just before dawn, he did have a vision. He was torturing Draco, and he could see Draco crying his tears mixing with the blood that he was covered in. Harry jumped up grabbed his things fully preparing to escape to Malfoy Manor.

He got out his map to make sure to avoid Filch and then he saw it. Draco was walking from the main entrance towards the dungeons. His mother, escorted by Filch was walking towards the Headmaster's office. Harry's heart was pounding, and he couldn't think of anything other than getting to Draco right then. He ran as fast as he could trying to catch up to him before he got into his dorm.

Draco was walking slowly almost shuffling, and Harry was hoping it was because he was tired and not because he was in pain. Harry took the stairs down three at a time, but he still missed Draco by a few minutes. Harry was at the top of the stairs that lead to the dungeons when he saw Malfoy's dot enter the Slytherin dorm. Harry leaned his back against the wall to catch his breath and tried to reassure himself that Draco was at Hogwarts; therefore he must have been okay. After he had successfully calmed himself down, Harry turned to go back to his dorm but soon ran into Mrs Malfoy on her way toward the dungeon.

'Out so late?' Draco's mother looked down her nose at him.

Harry didn't flinch and glared right back at her. 'Maybe I'm up early?'

'And yet so far from where you belong,' she observed.

'I'm on my way to the library,' he said. 

She arched an eyebrow at him as she studied him. 'With no books or supplies?' 

'I figured there would be plenty of books in the library.'

She smirked at that then slightly nodded before she carried on her way. Harry assumed that she was trying to be condescending and make him feel inadequate. What unnerved him was that it worked, especially when Draco did it.

Harry continued to his dorm and tried to get at least a couple hours of sleep before he had to face the day, but his curiosity was plaguing him. 

Why was she going into the dungeon and what was that smirking about? He never did get to sleep before Ron "woke" him for breakfast. Draco was late and Harry nervous the entire time as he tried to avoid questions from both his friends. Once Draco arrived, he could finally relax seeing that nothing had happened to him. Harry couldn't wait until the next night to confront him, so as they passed each other on the way to class, Harry bumped into him and slipped a note into his hand. 

Draco as Harry had expected played it perfectly, insulting him and his clumsiness as he would have any other day. It made him smile to himself knowing it was an act until reality had sunk in, and he remembered that Draco was faking his relationship with him. Though they did have their moments, Draco still really felt that Harry was a clumsy idiot. He fiddled with the ring that he had in his pocket, the one that Hermione unsuccessfully tried to talk him out of buying.  
He hadn't even come to the decision on whether or not he was going to give it to him. 

It was supposed to be his Christmas present. Draco wouldn't have gotten anything for Harry, so he wouldn't feel put out if Harry, in the end, decided not to get anything for him. 

At least, he hoped.

#

Harry got to the room early and was pacing once Draco finally showed up. He didn't wait for Draco to greet him before he claimed his mouth in a possessive kiss. It shocked Draco and knocked the breath out of him. He thought he might pass out from the lack of oxygen when Harry finally pulled back to speak.

'Don't you ever do that to me again,' Harry said before he resumed his assault. 'I was so worried about you. You could've owled me or something.'

'You wouldn't have thought my owl was a plan from the Dark Lord?' 

Harry relaxed a little and laughed at that. 'Yeah, I probably would have.' He held Draco until he relaxed into Harry. 'I've missed you.'

'Me, too.' Draco pulled back and led Harry to the bed. 'I've been thinking.' He laughed. 'You can blame it all on Christmas.'

Harry had already blamed a lot on Christmas that year, but he wasn't going to tell Draco that.

'I wanted to get you something.'

'You don't need-'

Draco raised his hand, stopping Harry from continuing. 'Need to, yeah, I know. I was thinking about what we talked about with the material and nonmaterial things, and there is nothing material that I could think of that would mean anything to you.'

Harry could think of one since it was, at that moment, in his pocket. Even that was only something he wanted because of the nonmaterial aspect of it. What the ring would symbolise as oppose to the ring itself.

'You've given me a lot, and I hadn't even realised it until you weren't there every day,' Draco continued. 'So I decided there was something I wanted to give you.' He paused. 'Well, more something that I wanted to do with you.' 

Draco pushed Harry down on his back in the middle of the bed then Draco threw his leg over Harry to straddle him. 'I spend almost the entire break reading up on…' Draco twisted his hand in the air to indicate what he hoped Harry would catch on to what he was trying to say so that he wouldn't have to say it aloud. But, Harry continued to stare at him with a blank look, and Draco huffed in frustration.

'What?' Harry asked confused, and Draco tried not to laugh at his innocent stare.

'You know,' Draco said as he smiled down at him then slightly ground against him. 'This.' 

The movement caught Harry's attention, and his eyes widened at the realisation of what Draco meant, causing Harry to freeze beneath him.

'Are you sure?'

'Of course, I'm sure.' Draco smirked. 'It's all I've thought about for a week.' He leaned down and started to kiss Harry. 'I've read every book I could find and learned every spell that we could possibly need.'

'You researched it?' Harry squinted up at him and then added, 'You're a virgin?'

Draco had felt the blood rush from his face before he whispered, 'Aren't you?'

'Yeah, of course.' Harry grinned up at him. 'Yes, I just didn't think you were. What spells did you learn?"

Draco's smirk had returned before he flicked his wand and Harry was naked.

'Hey, what about you?' With another flick, Draco lost his pants and trousers but left his shirt on. He had yet to let Harry even unbutton it. They leaned into each other and continued kissing as Harry let his hand run up and down Draco's thighs.

'This is a big thing, you know," Draco said nervously. He wanted to make sure Harry understood what this meant for them and him. That it was a big step, and it was going to make them real. It wasn't a game anymore and certainly wasn't a mission to Draco any longer. Harry cared about him in a way that very few people did. Draco might not have loved him, but he wasn't going to give up on someone that loved him for who he was. It had gotten to the point that he felt more himself with Harry then at any other time.

'Yes, but I want to. I want to do this with you.' Harry rubbed Draco's arm absently trying to get him to calm down. Draco could feel his shirt rubbing gently against his Dark Mark it burned slightly with the contact.

'Listen, I need to,' but he did not get to say the "tell you something" before Harry groaned and rubbed his face.

'Don't do this. Please,' Harry mumbled into his hands, 'not, again.' 

Draco closed his mouth and studied Harry's face as he came back out from behind his hands.

'I want this,' Harry said frustrated, and then after a paused, added, 'Can we talk about it after?'

Draco nodded and moved against Harry again, trying to lighten the mood.

'Take off your shirt,' Harry said as he started to unbutton it. 

Draco hesitated to agree. Harry would see his mark, but he wanted to tell him and it would give him the opening to it. Harry pulled the shirt off his shoulders and let it fall off Draco's arms. The mark was still hidden. Draco wanted Harry to take it off, so he let it hang there even though it restricted his movements. 

'You're so beautiful,' Harry whispered as he trailed kisses down his neck and his hands over Draco's chest.

'So you've told me,' Draco replied with a smirk; it didn't matter how many times Harry said it. Draco liked hearing it. Harry, without taking his eyes off of Draco's like they were having a contest to see who would look away first, slowly finished removing Draco's shirt. Even then neither of them looked away from the other's face.

Draco's breathing became fast and laboured as he was close to panicking. Harry cupped his face and dragged his thumb across his lips before he pulled him down to kiss him.

'Are you not going to say anything?' Draco said after he pulled back.

'I already knew,' Harry explaining before Draco could start questioning him about it. 'I'm not an idiot, Draco. What else was Voldemort suppose to do after he lost some of his Death Eaters to Azkaban?'

Harry watched Draco face as he considered that.

'He had to recruit someone, and I can't think of anyone else that would have been better.'

Draco pulled back abruptly. 'What is that supposed to mean?' 

Harry taken back at Draco's response. 

'You think I went running to him? That I was eager to do this and put whatever he says above my own life?'

Harry didn't respond only waited for Draco to continue his rant. Everyone had been that way. Believing that Draco wanted this. That he was excited to have that mark burned into his skin forever. Like his mother smiled instead of cried as she watched it happen. After Draco finished going on about 'evil manipulative dictators' and 'over controlling fathers,' then continued on about 'defenseless mothers' and 'clueless friends,' he finally calmed down and let Harry just hold him.

Suddenly, Harry shuffled around through his clothing. Draco thought he was going to leave, and held on to tighter. He couldn't bring himself to ask Harry to stay, but that didn't mean he was going to let him go. 

Harry kissed the top of his head and said, 'I've got something for you.'

Draco sat back up, still on Harry's lap, as he noticed the small box in Harry's hand that could only hold one thing that Harry knew of.


	7. Chapter 7

Draco could tell without opening the box what it was, and a look of fear crossed his face, but Harry stopped him before he tried to speak.

'Relax, I'm not asking you to marry me or anything.' Harry laughed as Draco did relax and forced a slight smile. 'It just considering.' Harry tilted his head towards the mark but make a point not to look at it. 'I've been worried about you. About you being safe. So, I was looking up protection charms, and I found one that works on jewelry.'

Draco took the box then. 'I didn't see you as much of a necklace or bracelet guy, but I figured everyone wears rings. So you could just say your mother gave it to you or something.'

The box opened to reveal a thick white gold band with a dragon carved into it. He held back a laugh remembering the awkward conversation he and Harry had about the dragons. As he was inspecting the ring, he noticed that Harry had been paying attention and it was an arctic dragon. Or it just happened to be a happy accident; since other than they were white there were very subtle differences that most people would never notice. Draco put it on his right hand and felt a slight wave of warmth flow through his body. He wondered if he would always feel warmer with it on or if it was just his imagination.

'Shhh,' Harry said when Draco opened his mouth to speak, and then was kissing him. For a moment, Draco was going to protest. Harry was always doing that, and it made it impossible to have serious conversations with him. 'You were going to show me everything you learned remember?'

'Yes.' He remembered. He was just a bit nervous about it, and things kept coming up. 'Just sit there.'

'I am,' Harry said while Draco attempted to gather his thoughts. Harry pressed against him and moaned, 'Draco' in a way that was almost begging and got Draco hard again in seconds. Harry was already, though Draco was not sure if that was still or happened again once they had started talking about sex. He hadn't been paying close enough attention with everything that was happening. Either way, he decided that he had teased Harry enough and started to whisper the spells he learned. 

He wanted to be on top so that he could control everything. The books had given him many different tips and having the other person in control the first time had been one of them, but Harry had never - He trusted Harry, but that did not mean he wouldn't unintentionally hurt him.

All the spells he used were on himself, so Harry wasn't going to be able to tell that he was doing anything. Draco could tell that they helped. He had used a toy to practice and everything because he didn't want to have to stop in the middle of it all because of pain. 

He was positive he was ready for it, but he still started with kissing Harry to distract himself. That was one of the tips to continue kissing through the entire thing (if it were possible) to keep his mind off the pain. It, in conjunction with the spells, worked perfectly. He hardly felt any pain as he slowly guided himself down on Harry. Draco went slowly up and down and though it took him a while, he finally found the spot he wanted. Then he could concentrate on Harry's reaction.

Harry was silent and that worried Draco. 

His face was unreadable, so Draco couldn't tell if he was in pleasure, pain or just simply bored. His eyes were closed, and whenever Draco kissed him, he responded just like he always had before. Harry didn't move a muscle and let Draco move at whatever pace was the most comfortable for him.

'Are you okay?' Draco asked him afraid that Harry was in pain or hating it.

Harry opened his eyes then tried to respond. 'Yes,' he choked out before he pulled Draco into a kiss and came as he moaned against Draco's lips. 'Fuck, yes. I love you,' he repeated a couple of times before he pulled back and rested against the pillows again. 'Fuck.' Harry shook his head at himself. 'I was trying not to.'

Draco nodded with relief and kissed him to stop him from explaining further. 

They repositioned so that they were both lying down with Draco's head on Harry's chest as Harry played with Draco's hair, and Draco played with his new ring.

'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be, I still enjoyed it,' Draco assured him.

'It's still not the same.'

Draco just shrugged. He didn't care that he had not come he was still happy. He almost voiced that but stopped as he mulled over the fact that he was happy. When was the last time he could have said that? Never. It occurred to him that he had never truly been happy. It was why he failed to ever cast a Patronus, not because he lacked skill, but because he had nothing happy enough to think about. He might have started to cry at that, but Harry shifting underneath him pulled him from his thoughts.

'What're you doing?'

'Just relax,' Harry said in between kissing down Draco's chest and pushing him to his back.

'Harry, you don't have to.'

'I want to,' Harry said and continued on his way. 

Draco was tensed, but after all of their previous activity, Draco was fully teased and didn't last more than seven minutes after Harry took him into his mouth. He came calling out Harry's name.

#

'Mate?' Ron asked with concern in his voice. 'You alright?'

'Why wouldn't I be alright?' Harry asked only half paying attention with a smile that would not go away no matter how hard he tried.

'You're smiling,' Ron said as he shared a look with Hermione.

'Isn't that normally a good thing?' Harry laughed at his friend's expressions as he finally looked at them instead of slightly past them.

'Who were you looking at?' 

Hermione was always more one for the direct approach.

'No one. Why would I be looking at someone?' Harry asked her as he turned back to his meal.

'You've just seemed a little distracted lately,' she explained while watching him curiously.

'And that means I have to be interested in someone?'

'No,' Hermione agreed, 'It doesn't, but the smile that you've been wearing constantly would mean that something good happened." 

Harry laughed at her choice of words, yes 'something good' happened. He wondered if everyone found sexual things in everything others said after they finally had sex. He bit his lip after she glared at him, but shrugged his shoulders instead of answering her. 

'Why is it such a big deal?' Hermione asked.

'What do you mean?'

'Why can't you just tell us who you're seeing? I mean we already know it's a boy.'

'Shh, just because I let you know doesn't mean I want the whole school to know,' Harry whispered. 'Besides, I never said I was seeing anyone.'

'So you bought a ring for yourself?' 

He nodded.

'Really, then where is it?' She looked back and forth between both his hands to find nothing. 'A ring as expensive as that and you don't even wear it?'

'You bought some bloke an expensive ring?' Ron looked at Harry stunned as he finally caught on to what they were talking about. Ron then turned to Hermione. 'How expensive?' 

She opened her mouth to answer, but Harry cut her off.

'That doesn't matter,' Harry told them sternly. 'I'm just not ready to let anyone know yet.'

'Not even us?' Ron squealed.

'I don't think you're ready to accept it yet. Just give me some time.'

'Okay,' Hermione finally backed off, but Ron looked just as upset as before. 'You're serious with this guy then?'

'I'm in love with him,' Harry kept his voice low, but not to a whisper.

Hermione answered with a forced smile.

#

Since Hermione knew that Harry was seeing someone, she finally noticed how much he saw of _him_. They met at least every other night since after the holidays. The more time that passed, the earlier that Harry would leave her and Ron in the evenings. To make things worse, she swore she saw the ring Harry bought on a certain Death Eater's son during their potions class. Two months passed and Hermione's curiously couldn't take it any longer. Just after Harry left the common room, she got up to follow him.

'Where are you going?' Ron asked her, and he closed his book.

'I'm going to follow Harry,' she responded not even slowing down.

'Wait up! I'm coming with.' He jumped up from the couch.

'Hurry, or we'll lose him.'

'Maybe we should lose him.'

She gave him a confused look.

'That way he doesn't notice us following him.' He nodded towards the dorm room. 

She nodded, and he ran to grab Harry's Invisibility Cloak and map from Harry's trunk.

When he got back, they found Harry headed towards the seventh floor, and they ran to meet up with him there. They were out of breath when they got there and quickly threw the cloak over both of them. When Harry opened the door to go in the room, Ron put his foot in the door so that it wouldn't close. There was already someone there, and they imminently started talking. Which was lucky for Ron and Hermione or they would not have been able to get by Harry unnoticed.

'Did you leave the door opened?' They heard a familiar voice ask. 

Harry turned and looked at it in confusion and then went to close it.

'I thought I had, sorry,' Harry mumbled and then climbed on the bed. 'I must have forgotten after I saw you.'

He blushed, and Draco rolled his eyes. 

Ron and Hermione got closer and came almost to the foot of the bed. Hermione's suspicions were confirmed, and she bit her lip to remain silent. She hadn't, however, planned on Ron gasping when he saw Draco kiss Harry. Hermione quickly threw her hand over his mouth and pulled him back and to the ground by the couch. He glared at her, but she just put a finger to her lips, indicating that they should remain hidden and not let Harry know they were spying on him. Ron, however, glared at her and started to argue silently with her in gestures.

'Did you hear something?' Draco asked as he eyed the area that Ron and Hermione had previously been. They both went still and silent as they waited for the moment to pass. Thankfully, Harry had been too caught up in snogging Draco to notice anything, and he just shook his head. 

Hermione and Ron held their breath as Draco looked around the room, and then smirked before he started to kiss Harry again. 

'Mmmm,' Draco moaned. 'I want you so bad.'

'Really?' Harry asked in between kissing his neck and nibbling on his ear.

'Yes, I want you inside me,' Draco said and then pushed Harry back against the bed. The way they were sitting made Harry diagonal on the bed, but Draco stopped him when he went to straighten himself out and lean against the pillows. 'No, stay just like that. And don't move.' 

Then he climbed on top of Harry.

'Okay.' Harry laughed, and Hermione had to grab Ron's arm to keep him from launching himself at them.

Draco started to kiss down Harry's body and even went down as far as Harry's hips. 'What are you doing?' Harry asked, sounding nervous.

'Shh,' Draco said, 'Just relax.' 

Then he continued with what he was doing, kissing down Harry's hips and then down and up his thighs. Harry looked down at Draco in astonishment as put the tip of Harry's prick in his mouth and swirled his tongue around it a couple of times. Quickly after, Draco went back to straddling him and then began to whisper spells that Hermione couldn't hear the incantations to, but she got the gist of it and pulled Ron toward the door.

Harry slid down the bed a little and pulled Draco to his mouth, which threw Draco off balance for a second, and he had to grab onto Harry's head and the headboard to regain his balance.

Ron, once again, almost burst out from under the cloak as Hermione had been trying to get him through the door. 

It had not occurred to her that Harry would have been that intimate with his boyfriend. She hadn't planned nor had she wanted to see all of that. She and Ron continued their heated argument through gestures under the cloak. Where Ron wanted to stop them immediately and confront Harry, Hermione wanted them both to leave. Hermione eventually won, and they were trying to make their way through the door as quietly as possible. 

Though with all the noise Draco was making, they had no reason to be quiet any longer.

#

'Oh Harry,' Draco moaned loudly. Even he knew he was overdoing it a bit, but Harry didn't seem to notice it. In fact, Draco rather liked Harry's reaction to it. 'Yes, yes!' 

Harry had hardly moved at all the last time, and Draco was grateful for that at the time, but with Draco's constant encouragement Harry was doing most of the work that time. Even though, just like the time before, Draco was on top of Harry. After Draco had started to move freely, Harry joined him meeting him in the middle with thrusts of his own. Draco ended up bracing himself and letting Harry do all the movement from underneath him. Once Harry found a rhythm, Draco found it increasingly easier to overdo his moans.

'Where did this come from all of a sudden?' Harry managed to say in the middle of everything. 

Draco had always known he was possessive. Once he realised they were being watched, he just wanted whoever it was to know that Harry was his and to stay away. Whoever they were had Harry's Invisibility Cloak, and therefore must have been rather close to Harry. Draco decided that if they were going to perv and watch, then he was going make sure they knew how happy Harry was with him. But Draco did not want to tell Harry any of those things at that moment.

It more likely the fact they were in the middle of having sex and not so much the question Harry asked that had Draco answer, 'I love you.'

He claimed Harry's stunned mouth in a kiss that caused them both to climax.

Hearing those words changes things. Draco knew that from when he heard them from Harry before, but he wasn't prepared for Harry's reaction. He knew that it would make him happy.

'I love you, Draco,' Harry said as he started to roam his body and kiss every part of it. Then he kept repeating it over and over again. Like Harry had wanted to say it much more than he already had, but had been holding back. Having Draco say it opened a floodgate, and it was all Harry wanted to say.


	8. Chapter 8

'Stop it,' Hermione said to Ron after she had struggled him away from the door and shut it again. As it disappeared, she sighed in relief. Ron had been fine with leaving until he'd heard the _I love you's_. 

'How could you just walk away?' Ron tried to yell and whisper at the same time. 'That sneaking, slimy ferret probably snuck Harry some sort of potion.' He fumed as he kicked at the wall. 'He probably wasn't bent to begin with.'

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and started to walk away with the cloak.

'Hey!'

'Shhh,' she hissed. 'I'm not going to stand here and listen to this.'

'You knew,' he accused as they got back underneath Harry's cloak.

'I suspected,' Hermione clarified. 'We already knew he was with someone. He still felt he needed to keep it secret. So, obviously, it was going to be someone he thought we wouldn't approve of.' 

Ron grumbled incoherently as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower.  
'I still don't trust the ferret,' he said once they got back and retook their places by the fire. 'Do you hear what he said when we were leaving?'

'Yes,' she said exasperatedly.

'As if he could ever love anyone,' Ron growled. 'He's too in love with himself.'

'Oh, please. You can't believe that.'

'Of course, I do!' Ron said, 'How can you not?'

'Everyone is capable of love, Ron.'

'Hermione, do you somehow miss the mark that was clearly on his arm?'

'Of course not.' Hermione glared at him. 'Do you think that Harry is so blind that even with it two inches from his face he could not see it?'

Ron just crossed his arms but didn't answer. Obviously, Harry would be aware of it. 'Malfoy probably gave him some sob story about how he was forced into it.'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'You are not going to say anything about this to Harry.'

'Why not?' Ron whined.

'He'll tell us when he's ready.' Hermione tried to stay positive as she said it, but the worry was evident in her voice.

'Then why did you spy on him in the first place, if it wasn't going to change anything?' 

'I was curious.'

Ron shook his head at her but then agreed not to say anything to Harry when Hermione glared at him.

#

Draco was scared, which was not an entirely uncommon feeling for him. Though he normally was afraid for his life and not from trivial things like emotions. 

He had never told anyone he loved them before aside from his parents. Therefore, he did not know what it felt like to be in love, and he had just got caught up in the moment. It wasn't really a lie. Okay, so he lied. Draco could reluctantly admit it to himself that Harry was starting to have an impact on him. He did care more about Harry than any of his other friends. But he hated or merely tolerated all his other friends, so that wasn't saying much.

He did look forward to spending time with him and enjoyed it. He even liked the sex. Okay, he loved the sex. That did not mean that he was in love with him, and before he blurted out the statement he had not thought it through. This was going to change their relationship. There was no way he could convince Harry not to come try to rescue him if he thought Draco loved him. Draco was going to have to break his heart, but then he would fail his mission.

'Draco?' Harry asked pulling Draco from his thoughts. 'I've been thinking.' Then he finished in a mumble, 'that I should tell my friends about us.'

'Why?' Draco shot straight up and pulled away from Harry.

'Look, over Christmas, I told them that I was gay, and they've figured out that I'm seeing someone,' Harry started to explain. 'I know you don't want people to know, but they won't tell anyone.'

'So?' Draco shrieked. 'As much as it pains me to admit this your friends qualify as "people".'

'Draco,' Harry said sternly. Draco hadn't insulted anyone in so long Harry almost forgot who he was dealing with. 

Draco just stared back in defiance. 

'I know that,' Harry continued, 'but I told them that I would tell them when I felt comfortable.'

'Once again, so?' 

Harry tried to pull Draco back down beside him, but Draco pulled his wrist free.

'And now I'm comfortable telling them,' Harry said. 'Come on, Draco.'

Draco closed his eyes upon hearing his name. It made him feel strange when Harry said it. It was kind of a warm feeling and something he had never felt before.

'You just said you loved me. You can't possibly still be uncomfortable about being with me.' Harry pulled Draco towards him again and, this time, Draco offered no resistance even when Harry gave him a few small kisses on his mouth.

'No, I'm comfortable being with you,' Draco assured him.

'So, I can tell them?' Harry asked hopefully.

'You really wouldn't if I said no?'

'Of course not,' Harry insisted. 'This is our relationship.' Then Harry smiled almost to himself. 'I've enjoyed having this be just us, but I can't lie to my friends forever.'

'You think we'd last that long?'

'I know that I don't want this to end.' 

Draco thought about what Harry said before he answered, 'I don't want it to end, either.' He was being completely honest, which was something he didn't do, even with himself, often enough for it not to scare him a little. He sighed and looked up into Harry's eyes. 'I think we've already told them anyway.' Draco didn't know why he was about to confess to this, but he couldn't back out after saying that.

'What are you talking about?'

'How many people have access to your Invisibility Cloak?'

Harry was confused by the question but answered, 'Um, I suppose anyone in my dorm room, but Ron and Hermione are the only ones that know about it.'

'Well, there goes my theory on it being the Weaselette,' Draco muttered.

'What _are_ you talking about?'

Draco shrugged. 'I thought your little girlfriend would be the only one interested in spying on you.' When Harry was still confused, Draco rolled his eyes and continued, 'You remember when I said I thought I heard something earlier?'

Harry nodded.

'Well, I'm rather certain that someone was invisible in that vicinity.' 

Harry was looking at him stunned, and then it clicked into place.

'Someone was spying on us, and you decided to have sex with me!' Harry sat up, forcing Draco to do the same.

'You are _mine_ , and I wanted to make sure they understood that!' Draco folded his arms across his chest and pouted, only without sticking his lip out.

Harry looked at him scrutinisingly, and then proceeded to laugh.

'What's so funny?'

'I never knew you were so possessive.' Harry shook his head at him. 'Even to the point of letting some random person watch me come in your arse to prove that we are together.' Harry leaned over and kissed Draco's shocked mouth. 

Draco hadn't thought of it that way when he was doing it. 'I'm sure it was one of your friends,' Draco insisted. 'I don't know of anyone else that has an Invisibility Cloak.'

'Oh and you know everything about everyone in the entire school,' Harry mocked him. 'You, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and I'm pretty sure Snape has figured it out, are the only ones that know I have one. Anyone could have one.'

'They're extremely rare, Potter.' Draco glared. 'I doubt many parents would let their children have one. I'm sure the only reason you do is because-' Draco closed his mouth and looked away.

'I'd prefer to have my parents than the things that they left behind for me,' Harry said, angrily.

'I'd prefer the cloak,' Draco mumbled, and Harry's anger faded.  
'Don't say that. You love your parents.'

Draco shrugged, and Harry pulled him back down to lay his head on Harry's chest.

'You don't mean that,' Harry insisted. 'I love you.'

'You know, my father has never said that to me.'

Harry squeesed Draco tighter. 

'At least, you know your parents loved you.' 

Harry lightly stroked Draco back while Draco ran his fingers up and down Harry's treasure trail. 

'So, what are you going to say to your friends?' Draco didn't like talking about himself especially when it was real. That was something else that kept frequently happening around Harry.

'Well, if you're right after I find out whether or not they were spying on us. I might not have to say much.'

Draco smirked.

'I'll just tell them the truth and hope they take it well.'

'Do you want me to be there?' 

Harry honestly had not even thought about it, and that showed on his face as he was considering the answer. 

'I mean this is our relationship right?'

'Right.'

#

Harry was sure that Draco was right about his friends spying on them the very next day. Neither of them seemed to be able to look him in the eye, and all through breakfast Hermione was very interested in her food. She even dodged a question Harry had about schoolwork that he knew she had read at least three books on. Had he not suspected them of spying then, he would have thought she was just bothered by something Ron had done or said, but he knew better.

'So,' Harry tried nonchalantly, 'what did you two do last night?'

Ron paled, and Hermione shouted, 'Nothing!'

Harry rolled his eyes and smirked as he looked back and forth between them. Hermione had turned red from her loud outburst, but Ron was still frozen in place. Harry sighed and decided just to get it over with.

'He heard you, you know.'

Hermione's head shot up, 'What?'

'You knew we were there?' Ron asked, suddenly regaining his composure and his eyes lit with anger.

'No, I didn't,' Harry shot back angrily, 'You think I would have let you see…' He took a breath to calm himself down and simply repeated, 'No, I didn't.'

'But he did?' Hermione clarified.

'He didn't know it was you two, but he suspected someone was lurking.' Harry laughed at the memory and then thought about how cute Draco looked when he was insecure and possessive. 'He thought it was some girl that had a crush on me.'

'That just happened to have an invisibility cloak?'

Harry shrugged. He wasn't going to tell them that Draco had specifically thought Ginny was the one spying on him.

Ron gritted his teeth, 'I can't believe… out of all the people… why him?'

'Ron…' Hermione warned.

'I'm sorry,' Harry started. 'It's a long story and a bit difficult to explain here.' He gestured to the mass of people that surrounded them at the moment. Hermione rolled her eyes and whispered "Muffliato" then motioned Harry to continue.

'Fine, the short story is that he told me he fancied me and we started dating about a month or two before Christmas.'

'What's the long story?' Ron asked not willing to accept Harry's answer, 'and why would you date him anyway?'

Harry chewed his lip then nodded; they deserved to know after everything they've gone through for him. 'Voldemort gave him a mission to "seduce" me, and he came to me for help instead of attempting it.' His friends shared a confused look as Harry continued, 'He doesn't know about that last part, though, because the help he wanted was for me to Obliviate him of all knowledge that he told me and stop him from fulfilling his mission.'

'Then why are you dating him if he wanted you to stop him?' Ron glared still obviously not pleased with what Harry was saying.

'Yea, Harry that doesn't make any sense and why would Voldemort ask Draco to do that anyway?'

'Voldemort can get into my head remember… he knew… and then.'

'Knew what?' Ron asked.

Harry buried his face in his hands before he began mumbling again, 'What do you think he knew?'

'Are you saying that you fancied Malfoy before all of this?' Ron sat back and waited, but Hermione reached across the table and put a reassuring hand on Harry's arm.

'Harry, it's okay.'

Harry's head shot up. 'No, it's not. It's completely messed up.'

'I'd say,' Ron agreed.

'He came to me for help, because he didn't want to do it. He let me Obliviate him. I should have gone to Dumbledore, and instead, I used it against him and gave Voldemort just want he wanted.' It's funny how he could find ways to justify everything to himself, but the second he had to explain the situation out loud, the reality of it hit him. 

Voldemort had won. Draco's mission was a success, because if there were a slight chance that Draco might get hurt, then Harry would do whatever it took to stop it from happening.

'Maybe we can go to Dumbledore now, and he could think of something… how was he planning on using this against you anyway?'

'He's planning on "kidnapping" Draco and then killing me when I go to rescue him.'

'Well, that's simple then,' Ron said. 'Don't rescue him.'

Harry was stunned by Ron's callous, unfeeling words, 'What if he does kill him?'

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and glared at Ron. 'Maybe we can keep Draco from returning to him. then he won't be able to "kidnap" him.'

'I've thought about that, and he knows that I know he's a Death Eater, but he says he doesn't want to be… but...'

'You don't know if he is just saying that or it's the truth,' Hermione interrupted.

Harry nodded.

'He is just using you for his mission,' Ron insisted, 'What has he done that makes you think he has changed?'

'I'd have thought you'd seen that,' Harry said with anger clearly in his voice; they both had the decency to look embarrassed again. Harry had no idea how much they had seen, but they both seemed embarrassed enough about it that he assumed it was quite a bit.

'Yeah, well I guess all I saw was a Death Eater that was willing to be your whore to get what he wants,' Ron spat out before he got up and stormed away from the table before either of his friends could stop him. Harry sat up ready to follow him fuming about what his best friend just called his boyfriend. 

Hermione grabbed his arm again pulling him back to his seat. 'Clam down, Harry. You know how he is when anything new happens. He just needs time to realize that he is acting like a child, and then he'll apologise.' 

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he opened them again he noticed Draco staring at him with a concerned looked. He was glad that Draco wasn't there to hear how that conversation went, not that he could have been since he told his friends everything and was still keeping Draco in the dark.


	9. Chapter 9

Harry decided that he wasn't going to go to Dumbledore just yet and was going to continue things with Draco as they were. He wanted to convince Draco to switch sides, and if Draco had been telling the truth at all about his feelings, then it shouldn't be too difficult. After dinner, he searched his map until he found the familiar dot label "Draco Malfoy" in the prefects bathroom. He got the password from Ron at the beginning of the year so he would have no trouble getting in.

He snuck up behind Draco slowly and silently taking off his clothes. 

'Hello love,' he whispered startling Draco as he slipped into the water behind him.

Draco spun around quickly, 'What are you doing here?'

'I missed you,' he said as he grabbed Draco's legs and pulled him onto his lap nibbled at his collar bone then up his neck to lick the shell of his ear.

Draco smirked, 'I can see that… or feel that rather.' Draco claimed Harry's mouth in a kiss while Harry roamed Draco's body with his hands pulling him closer and holding him as tight as breathing would allow. 'How did they take the news?'

'Ron is angry, and Hermione is supportive.'

'So as to be expected then?' Draco teased, 'How are you?'

'I'm fine.' Harry dragged his hands down Draco arms and let his thumb run over Draco's mark, but he didn't say anything about it nor did Draco, though he flinched. 'I just hate fighting.'

'You're the one that wanted to tell them.'

'Well, I also hate lying.'

Draco smirked. 'That's only because you are so bad at it.'

'You'd be surprised.' Harry smirked back.

'You're joking. Please, your guilt is written all over your face when you lie.'

'Really?'

'Of course,' Draco pulled Harry into another kiss.

As Harry thought about it, Draco was partly right. If he had to outright lie, it was written all over him. He felt too guilty, and he was never good at hiding his emotions, but the lies he was telling Draco - well, they were a lot easier to do. He didn't have to say anything, he just had to keep Draco from saying anything.

Draco pulled back, 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing.'

'No, there's something.' Draco searched his face looking for clues. 'You got all tense and quiet.'

'I'm always quiet.' He couldn't deny that he was tense, but anyone would be with the way Draco was scrutinising him then and what he had been thinking about prior. The whole situation made him nervous.

'Did something else happen that you're not telling me about?'

'No,' Harry said far too quickly.

'There is.' Draco rolled his eyes. 'What is it?'

Harry shook his head.

'The Weasel said something, what is it?'

'Hey, don't call him that.' 

Draco had done well, not bad mouthing anyone around Harry, for the longest time. He suspected that Draco reverted back to his old self the second he was away from Harry, though he had seen no proof of it since Christmas. Even then Draco said "weasel" as if it was actually his name and without any real malice behind it, but it still bothered Harry.

'Sorry,' Draco said, though it was obvious that he wasn't sorry at all. 'But, you didn't deny it. What did he say?' Draco's tone was warm, not pleading or whiney. 

Harry remained silent and kept his gaze anywhere except Draco's face, so Draco pressed closer and leaned in to kiss Harry lightly behind his ear. 

'What? You don't trust me?' 

'He doesn't trust you,' Harry said it without thinking. Of course, it was normal for Ron to be weary of Draco, but as Draco had said Harry is a crap liar, and he would have to tell him what Ron accused him of.

'What? He thinks I'm after you for your name or money?' Draco laughed at the thought then leaned against Harry's shoulder, but Harry didn't move which made it obvious that wasn't it. Draco became somber once again, 'Are you going to tell me?'

'He thinks that you're lying to me.'

'About what?'

'He says that you're working for Voldemort and are just trying to help him find a way to kill me.' 

They were both tense and quiet.

After a beat, Draco started, 'Harry, I--'

'I know.'

'No, you don't.'

'No, I do.' 

Draco pulled back to give Harry a puzzled look. 

'I know about your mission.' Harry attempted to pull Draco back, but he pushed himself off of Harry's lap and backward into the water. He reemerged in the middle of the pool.

'How long have you known?'

'The whole time.'

'The whole time? Then?' Draco seemed to be at a loss for words as he tried to find the right questions to ask Harry slowly approached him. 

'How did you know? Why are we here? And why?' Draco looked down at the ring Harry had given him but made no attempt to take it off.

'You told me… and because I love you.' Harry put his arms around Draco only to have Draco shove him away.

'But you knew that I didn't love you!'

'Not at first yeah, but…'

'Harry, I don't love you!' Draco swam to the edge and got out quickly drying himself off. Harry was only stunned for a second before following Draco and doing the same.

'Don't say that; you don't mean that.'

'How would you know? You don't know anything about me!' Draco fumbled with his clothing, and Harry grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. He almost responded and his lower body did, but he pushed Harry away nonetheless. 'That doesn't mean anything. We were just having sex.'

'You lost your virginity to me. No one does that without some feelings!'

'That doesn't mean that I love you!' 

Harry turned and started to pull on his clothes as Draco fumbled with his buttons. 

'How come I don't remember telling you about my mission?' Then before Harry could even answer, he figured it out and changed his question. 'Was that the only time?'

'What?' Harry stopped putting on his clothes and instead stared at Draco, who had finished dressing except for his outer robe.

'Was that the only memory you took from me?'

Harry hesitated, 'No.'

'I want them back.'

'What? Now?' Harry asked angrily.

'Can you?'

'I don't do magic that I can't reverse.'

Draco walked over to Harry and folded his arms across his chest. 'Then yes, now.' 

Harry was more nervous than angry then, but nodded his agreement and retrieved his wand from this pile of clothes. He fleetingly thought that he could take this too. They didn't have to fight. But, no, he told him for a reason, and putting it off wasn't going to change that they eventually had to go through this. Harry said the spelled and held it as he could see Draco reliving the memories and caught him when he fell from the disorientation that the spelled regularly caused. He lowered Draco to the ground and held him in a sitting position. 

Once Draco came back to himself, they sat there in the quiet as Draco stared off into the distance with a slightly confused look, and Harry waited for him to say anything. Afraid that he might have messed something up Harry spoke first breaking Draco's trance-like state.

'Are you okay?' It was barely a whisper, but it got Draco's attention, and he turned to look at him. 'I didn't hurt you, did I?'

'Of course, you hurt me,' Draco responded, 'it's all you seem to be able to do.' 

Before Harry knew it, Draco was once again on his feet, had grabbed his robe and was headed for the door.

'Wait!' Harry stumbled to gather his clothes and put them on quickly ready to run down the hall after Draco if he had to. 'Let me explain.'

Draco stopped at the door. 'Later, I just need to think. Just let me think, I'll find you if and when I'm ready to talk.' He left before Harry could think of a reply though hours later Harry still wasn't sure what he would have said if he'd had the chance. He kept thinking about how what Draco had said about how Harry always hurt him. He was sure that it had nothing to do with the spell he had cast, but he also couldn't figure out what he meant by it. He would have asked Hermione, but it would have forced him to tell her things that he wasn't comfortable sharing with her. He could think of a few times that he had actually hurt Draco, but they had all occurred since the mention of the mission. It was all Draco hurting Harry previous to that, or at least he thought.

A full week went by without a word from Draco. Or Ron, but Harry was still mad at Ron, so that wasn't bothering him that much. It once again forced Hermione to be in the middle, which she hated, so he was without her as well. 

It had always been horrible when they fought because not only did he lose Ron, but also Hermione would avoid both of them and then all the stares became that more evident. Then again, it might have been that everyone was staring and talking about him more because they all knew he was fighting with his friends. Plus, he was alone. Without Ron and Hermione, he was always alone. Ron would spend more time with their dorm mates, Seamus and Dean. Hermione would just find Ginny or study in the library.

'If you don't mind me asking,' Neville interrupted his musing in their dorm room one day. 'What happened?' 

Harry had spent most of his time hiding in the dorm. He would just "study" all day on his bed, which had brought him attention to the fact that Neville did that as well. It was only a matter of time that Neville would question why his private space was no longer so private. Harry sighed and closed the book he was "studying".

'Ron and I had a fight.'

Neville chuckled. 'So everyone in Hogwarts has observed. I just meant if you wanted to talk about it.'

'Thanks. I kind of do want to talk about it.'

'Well, I'm rather a good listener. I mean I'm sort of crap at everything else so…'

'Uhm, well.' Harry swallowed. 'It's sorta hard to explain. What would you do if your best mate started dating someone you hated?'

Neville blushed slightly. 'I don't have a "best mate", and I don't hate anyone but...'

'What if they were dating Malfoy?' Harry interrupted.

'Malfoy?' Neville looked confused as Harry prepared himself for "Why would anyone want to date Malfoy?" but instead, Neville said, 'Is Hermione dating Malfoy?'

'No, no, it's not that, and she isn't dating anyone that I know of.'

'That wouldn't make sense,' Neville concluded. 'That would be a reason for you two not to talk to her, but not Ron and you to stop talking.'

'Just, what would you do, if you wanted to or were dating someone that your best mate hated. Someone _like_ Malfoy?'

'Well, I'd--' Neville seemed lost, and Harry sighed before leaning back against the pillows resigning in the fact that it was a hopeless situation. That wasn't what Harry wanted to talk about anyway. What he wanted to talk about was how to get Malfoy back.

'Then, what if, you hexed the person you were dating to protect them,' Harry said, 'but they found out, and now they won't talk to you either.'

'What kind of hex?'

Harry winced. 'Obliviate.'

Neville looked stunned for a minute before he laughed.

'What?'

'It's just that so many people are jealous of you or wish that they could be you, and most people feel sorry for me.' 

Harry started to counter that, but Neville shook his head in dismissal.

'I know they do and so do you, but I am, probably one of the few people, that are actually really glad that I'm not you.'

'None of this has anything to do with me being "the-boy-who-lived."'

'No? But this is all a part of being you and, without any of it, you wouldn't be you. No one says they wish they were The-Boy-Who-Lived; they say they want to be you, and there is a lot more to you than that scar.'

Harry smiled a little at that. 'So I take it you don't have any advice?'

'Hey, I said I was a good listener, and not much good at anything else remember.' They both laughed at that and though Harry was still in the same situation he did feel better.

'Wait, Harry are you dating Malfoy?'

Harry shrugged. 'I was.'

The next morning was Saturday, and he did not hide in his dorm room. He went to the Great Hall for breakfast and faced all his worse fears. 

Ron sat with Dean and Seamus as usual, and Hermione sat diagonal from Harry but did not make any move to talk to him. And Draco was there, surrounded by people, as usual, ignoring everyone's existence. 

After Ron had left, Neville entered and sat next to Harry. He must have been staring at Malfoy though he was too lost in his thoughts to notice until he heard Neville chuckle beside him and saw Hermione give Neville a confused look.

'What?'

Neville shook his head. 'It's just this whole you pining over Malfoy. It's weird, but also sort of funny.'

'Pining?' Hermione questioned.

'We broke up.'

'When?' She closed her book and focused on Harry.

'Right after I told you and Ron. I told Draco the truth, and he got mad and left.'

'Harry, I'm sorry,' she said sympathetically, 'but why then didn't you tell Ron's all over so you two can quit fighting?'

'Because it's not over Hermione, I'm still in love with him.'

'Whoa, mate,' Neville broke in. 'You didn't tell me it was love.'

'If it wasn't would I have bothered telling anyone at all?'

#

Draco walked back to his room after dinner. All he'd done recently was think about the memories that Harry had taken from him. Thought about whether or not he was really justified to be upset about it. He had not lost a lot of time, but just five minutes here and there of conversations with Harry. The first one was obvious and even the reasons behind it. He asked Harry to do it. He had planned it before he had even approached Harry.

'Hey! Potter! Hold on for a second,' Draco had yelled after Harry, who was walking farther ahead of him.

'About what?'

'About the fact that you think about me when you wank.' 

Draco remembered the satisfaction of saying that to Harry's face, and then what was even better was watching him start to turn red. Harry didn't even bother to deny it just stared at him in shock. If it had been any other situation, then Draco would have continued to taunt him, but Draco had told him for a reason and stopped teasing to get to the point.

'Over the summer, the Dark Lord gave me a mission to complete this year. He wants me to seduce you. That way he could "kidnap" me and get you to try and save me.'

'Why are you telling me this?'

'Because, I don't want you to let me.'

'Then, why do it?' 

Draco rolled his eyes at the memory. Harry could be quite thick. Draco watched their conversation so different from the one he remembered having. Of course, the other one happened a few minutes later.

'Besides what's the worst you 'd do?' Draco had asked. Draco had no idea what Harry had been capable of, though he never expected him to do what he did. He was looking for some clue as to why he did it, but a second later Harry had said "Obliviate" and they were starting the conversation over again. Having the two memories together only made things more confusing. Harry had agreed to help him and then just went back on it? He was supposed to stay away and not get involved any further.


	10. Chapter 10

They had been in the room that they had always met in and just finished a long snogging session. Harry was twisting Draco hair in his fingers, and Draco had just found out that almost everyone hated him. 

He remembered how much that hurt and how it surprised him. He had been so sure that no one cared about him nor ever noticed him other than those who tried to gain power through him and his family.

He remembered thinking that it wasn't too late, and he could go back to his original plan. Just tell Harry and get out of the mission altogether.

'I need to tell you something.' He was going to do it, but Draco knew it wasn't going to work. Harry wasn't going to help him. 'Voldemort told me to get close to you so that he could use me as bait to kill you.'

'I know, you told me. I'm sorry, but I have to do this.' 

Sorry? Was he sorry? He was supposed to stop it not go along with it. He was supposed to be helping Draco not just giving Voldemort what he wanted.

Then it was a couple of weeks later, and Draco was straddling Harry on the couch, and he was laughing at something Harry was saying about his annoying friends. They had their hands intertwined, and Draco leaned forward to kiss Harry. Draco was happy and comfortable, and it got him thinking about how it was going to end. He snuggled against Harry's shoulder.

'What's wrong?' Harry asked.

'Nothing, it's just.' No matter how many times he told himself that it was the only way. That if he didn't do his mission his family and he would be killed, he also thought that if he just told Harry it would be okay. That Harry would find a way to make it better, even if he ended up hating Draco when he found out. 'I'm sorry, I've been lying to you.'

'Everyone lies sometimes. I probably don't want even to know.'

'Voldemort asked me to do this; he's going to try to use me against you.'

Harry closed his eyes and, at the time, Draco thought that it was because he was mad. It was strange being able to feel those feelings and yet he current feelings at the same time. He knew that Harry was just frustrated that Draco kept telling him when Harry was trying to keep Draco on the path of fulfilling his mission. Then once again:

'Obliviate.'

Harry must of let him know because he had some plan to help Draco. Draco was sure of it. Even through his anger, he could see that Harry had, in a way, been trying to help him. And partly, Draco was angry with himself. He had never been one to forgive easily, so he planned on spending at least a week or two "thinking" about it. 

He could also tell that it was driving Harry crazy, which he deserved by the way. He would watch Draco when they were in the same room together. Then on the Monday of his second week of him ignoring Harry's existence Longbottom, of all people, during Herbology, of all places, decided to talk to him.

'You know you could at least tell him it's over so he could move on.'

'What?' Thankfully none of the other Slytherins decided to continue with Herbology, and no one else there ever paid any attention to Draco or Longbottom.

'Harry,' Longbottom said, 'You know: black hair, green eyes, glasses, scar, your ex.'

Draco glared at him and hissed, 'He told you.'

'It was written all over him actually.'

'No, him being a depressed, pathetic loser is written all over him… not his… involvement with… anyone.' Draco glanced around just to be sure that no one was paying them any attention.

'Well, right. So he did tell me, but just because he misses you and is waiting for you to talk to him.'

'Why would I want to talk to him? Did he tell you what he did?'

Neville shrugged. 'I think you'd be an idiot not to talk to him.'

'Of course. you'd think that,' Draco snarled.

'I mean you've only been obsessed with him since you were eleven.' 

Draco glared at the plant in front of him but refused to respond. He was not obsessed with Harry just because he thought about him a lot. 

'And it's only a matter of time before he gives up on and gets with someone who is not quite so difficult. Anyone would wonder why he would bother with you since it comes with so many problems.'

'What are you talking about?'

'His best mate still won't talk to him since he found out about you two, your family hates him. Wants him dead actually, and even without politics, like I said you're a difficult person to be around. Notice that now that you're single you don't have a line of people beckoning you for a date daily.'

'Who's been asking him out?' Draco demanded, and Longbottom laughed while he shook his head at him. Draco fumed then turned and left the greenhouse completely ignoring Madame Sprout as she asked him where he was headed. 

He wouldn't have been able to give her an answer anyway since he wasn't positive where he was headed. Away. Somewhere. He wanted to find Harry, but he couldn't have told her that. Classes were almost out, and Draco knew Harry schedule by heart, not because they were dating, but because he just had always memorised Harry schedule. 

That does not make him obsessed, though, it was perfectly normal to know the whereabouts of your enemies. He headed in that direction when he found Harry walking slowly down the hallway by himself. He walked determinately up to him, grabbed his arm and shoved him through the closest doorway. Damn his luck if it wasn't the girl's toilet, and no not the abandoned one that harbored Moaning Myrtle. He shoved Harry against the wall preparing to yell when he heard the gasps from behind him. Why did they always go to the bathroom together?

'Perhaps, we should beat the crap out of each other elsewhere, yeah?' Harry grabbed Malfoy's arm pulled him back out into the hallway, but someone must have already alerted a teacher because he was by the door waiting for both of them.

#

'Thanks for detention, Malfoy," Harry said after they finally got away to an abandoned classroom on the other side of the castle. Alone with Harry and even angrier after being scolded by a professor, once again Draco shoved Harry up against the wall, without much resistance and started his rant.

'How dare you tell Longbottom about our relationship!' he fumed. 'What happened to "this is our relationship" and "talking about things with me first", and who are these people that are asking you out? You are mine! And I am not difficult, nor do I come with problems! I'm the normal one you are the one that comes with problems. It's not my fault that the Weasel isn't talking to you, and I have no reason to feel guilty about that. It's his fault that his is an ungrateful prick, and why were you standing outside the girl's toilet?' 

Listening to Draco, Harry went from stunned to slightly confused, onto really confused before becoming angry himself. It was his fault they were fighting, and maybe he shouldn't have told Neville about Draco without his permission, but how was it his fault that he was walking past a toilet?

'Oh, that's my fault, too? Excuse me for walking down a hallway. I had no idea you were going to attack me! And how am I supposed to talk to you when you are refusing to let me, and I don't even know how to respond to the rest of that, except yes Ron's a prick.' 

Draco responded by attacking Harry's mouth with his own continually pressing him harder against the wall. After a stunned moment, Harry kissed back just as forcefully. He wasn't sure if that meant Draco had forgiven him or if he just needed the physical release, but he figured kissing was a much better sign than hitting no matter what. Draco had never been that aggressive with Harry, and Harry hadn't expected to like it that much. He didn't want it to end but they both needed air and when they stopped to breathe Draco backed up.

'I told you I just needed to think.' Draco sighed. 'You couldn't just give me that?'

'You haven't even looked at me in over a week.' 

Harry crossed his arms across his chest, and Draco sat down in a desk chair then started to spin the ring Harry gave him around his finger. 

'Besides, I did give you that. I haven't been following you around begging for you to speak to me have I?' 

Draco didn't respond nor did he look at Harry, then after a few minutes, he spoke again.

'What's your plan?'

'What do you mean?'

'You had to have some reason for telling me instead of just Obliviating me again, so what is it?' 

Harry uncrossed his arms and then sat in the chair across from Draco. 'I was going to try and get you to switch to our side, or at the very least to not return to him.'

'And what? Let my family die?'

'I wouldn't let that happen.'

Draco smirked. 'I didn't think you would, so again, what's your plan?'

Harry blushed and looked away. 'I guess I didn't have one. Well, go to Dumbledore and see what he said we should do.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Insane old man.'

'Voldemort is afraid of him," Harry pointed out instead of arguing with Draco that Dumbledore was brilliant. 

Draco didn't deny it but didn't move to agree to see him either. 

'It's the best idea that I have.' 

Draco continued to glare down at his hands and made no attempt to break the silence, so Harry cleared his throat before he attempted to speak again. 

'What did you mean that I couldn't seem to do anything but hurt you?'

'Honestly, Potter?' Draco huffed and looked at Harry like he was an idiot.

Harry didn't get any more of an answer than that and didn't want to ask again, so he tried changing the subject slightly. 'You're still wearing the ring?'

'Apparently,' Draco wasn't willing to make this any easier.

'Why?'

'Why not?' Draco countered. 'Do you want it back?'

'No,' Harry said softly, 'I want you.'

Maybe Longbottom had been right, and Draco was difficult, though he would never admit that. He had already decided that he wanted to be with Harry, so there wasn't any reason he needed to be fighting with him then. He just felt like he should. Probably because he was still angry that Harry told Longbottom about their relationship and that he had been manipulating Draco for months. Draco felt guilty the whole time thinking he was one the one manipulating Harry, and it was the complete opposite. Draco had every right to be mad at Harry, but it didn't change the fact that he was happier when he was around him. Draco's mother even told him to do what he wanted, and she would stand by him no matter what he chose.

Draco fidgeted as he cleared his throat. He had never been very good talking about his feelings and preferred to ignore them as much as possible. 

'I've thought about it, and I think that I still want to be with you.'

'Really?' Harry asked skeptically.

'Yes.' Draco nodded. 'I don't love you, but I…' Draco looked down at his hands, and Harry took his right one into his own. 'I think that I could learn to.'

'So, are you willing to talk to Dumbledore?'

Draco took a deep breath, 'Yeah, I'll talk to him.' 

Harry smiled then leaned forward and kissed Draco softly, but he didn't pull back after they ended the kiss.

'So… do you want to go somewhere?'

'We are somewhere,' Draco teased.

'I meant somewhere more comfortable.' Harry pulled Draco towards the door.

'What? You don't like the idea of being on your knees in an unused classroom?' Draco smirked as Harry blushed.

'I think it's more my knees that don't like the idea.'

#

Draco had never liked meeting with Dumbledore. He always smiled and looked at him as though he knew everything about him. On the way to his office, everyone Draco and Harry encountered gave them funny looks. But he just sat there with a smile on his face like he knew they were about to walk in his office right then and had been waiting or them.

Then Harry looked to Draco to talk. When he'd envisioned this, Harry did all the talking. He knew the situation, and he was the one who got on with their Headmaster.

Finally, when the silence got to be too uncomfortable, Draco said, 'Harry thinks you might be able to help protect my family.'

'That's what you start with?' Harry said, shaking his head at him.

Draco gestured for Harry to take over then. It had been his idea.

'You see, Professor,' Harry said. 'Draco was given a mission by Voldemort. He wanted to him to get close to me so that they could kill me when I went to save him.'

Harry blushed as he spoke and distracted by it, Draco almost missed Dumbledore's, 'I know.'

'What?' Harry said.

'You know?' Draco said.

Dumbledore laughed and shook his head at them. 'Harry, Harry, Harry. Why do you always see adults as so useless?'

'If he saw you as useless,' Draco pointed out, 'we wouldn't be here right now, would we?'

'True,' Dumbledore agreed, 'but you never thought for a moment any of us had you two figured out.'

Harry and Draco shared a look. When had anyone seen them?

Dumbledore smiled again. 'Your mother came to Professor Snape, and we all sat down and had a little chat about your odd behaviour during Christmas. Your mother has already been moved. She's safe. Your father can't be moved from Azkaban, but your mother feels he's safe there. In the event he leaves, we plan to find him.'

Draco chewed his lip, not sure he was comfortable with that.

'There is no such thing as perfectly safe during a war, Draco. Narcissa has lived through this before. She understands this and sometimes you have to settle for safe enough for now.'

'So, then, what were you planning on doing?'

'Well, you've already completed your mission, haven't you? We've been waiting for Voldemort's next move. He knows you've completed your mission, but he hasn't done anything since asking your mother to make you late arrive back. We can't make our next move until he makes his.'

'This isn't a game of chess.'

'Life is often much like a game of chess,' Dumbledore said.

'So then,' Draco asked, 'you're saying we just wait?'

'Well.' Dumbledore's smile widened. 'We could give him some incentive.'


	11. Chapter 11

‘So,’ Harry asked. ‘What do you think is the best way to do this? Just walk into the Great Hall together at breakfast?’

They were walking down the empty hall at a slow but steady pace. Once they made it to the staircase, they’d have no choice but to go their separate ways. 

Draco shot him a look. ‘No, we need the Dark Lord to hear about it, but we need it to be believable. We could “get caught”.’

‘We’ve already done that.’ Harry smiled at Draco and shook his head at him.

‘I meant by a known gossip.’ Draco thought for a moment. ‘In fact, Pansy would be perfect. She’s the most likely to tell the wrong person about it. Which in this case would be the right person.’

‘Who?’

Draco rolled his eyes. ‘I don’t know who. The Dark Lord doesn’t let his followers know who all follows him. It’s dangerous.’ 

Harry thought for a bit. ‘Why doesn’t Snape just tell him?’

‘I’m too close to Professor Snape.’

‘But he trusts Snape.’

‘He’ll trust is more coming from someone unexpected. Someone who is unlikely to know what my mission is. I’m close to my mother, and she’s close to Snape. He could have heard it from one of us. Besides, he already knows we’re involved. Having it come from a different source is just supposed to entice him to make his move.’

Draco shuddered at the thought, and Harry pulled him into a hug.

‘It’ll be fine,’ Harry said.

Draco tried to nod his head, but it was difficult for him to move with Harry wrapped around him. He kissed Harry’s neck instead. Harry groaned and pressed against him.

‘We can’t have sex in a hallway.’

‘Who said anything about sex?’

Harry laughed. ‘Really?’ And then he took Draco’s face in his hands and kissed him again. 

When Draco opened his eyes, he was pressed against the nearest wall. ‘What was that about _not_ having sex in the hall?'

'This isn't sex.'

Draco laughed, and they were kissing again, until the heard a loud gasp and jumped apart.

'Pansy!' Draco said.

'That takes care of that,' Harry whispered where only Draco would hear.

After sending Harry a quick glare, Draco walked toward Pansy. 

'It's true?'

'Um,' Draco hesitated. 'That depends on what you heard.'

'Everyone was talking about you and Potter being friendly in the hallways at supper.'

'What? This was the first time we've been friendly in the hallways!'

Harry pulled on Draco's sleeve and whispered, 'The girl that saw us on our way to Dumbledore's office.'

'We were walking! We weren't even touching!'

But Harry just looked amused instead of a frustrated. 

Draco looked back and forth between Pansy, who was looking at him with a fond smile, and Harry, who was doing the same.

'What?'

'No _girl_ , huh?' Pansy finally said, and Draco sighed. This was what they were after, and now he didn't even have to hope that Pansy would tell everyone about it. Apparently, they already knew. All they had to do was not fight while walking down a hallway together.

'A professor could have sent us to the Headmaster's office,' Draco added petulantly and crossed his arms.

Pansy rolled her eyes. 'And no one would believe that with the way you look at each other now.

Draco quickly looked away from Harry, not realising he'd been staring. This was a good thing; he had to remind himself. They wanted everyone to know. It was a good thing.

#

'I can't do it,' Draco said. 'I can't go.'

Snape stared down his nose at Draco and then shared a look with Dumbledore. After the silence had become unbearable, Snape snorted.

'I'll go,' Snape drawled. 'But keep yourself available. He might not accept me.'

Draco sighed once Snape disappeared from Dumbledore's fireplace.

'All will be well.'

'How can you be so optimistic?' Draco wished Harry was there. He twisted the ring Harry gave him around his finger. 'Where's Harry?'

'Probably sleeping.'

Draco's eyes shot to Dumbledores.

'We shouldn't worry him; that's Voldemort's goal in all of this isn't it?'

'How do you know that Voldemort _isn't_ worrying him? Isn't that what caused Harry to break into the Ministry last year? He doesn't come to you for everything or he would have then.'

Dumbledore looked down at his hands before he spoke. 'He does come to me, but I'm not always available. He knows more this time; we all do. He has no reason to rush away without coming to us first.'

'He knows more . . . but not everything, right?' Draco couldn't bring himself to trust Dumbledore or Snape fully. They both kept too many secrets. Anytime the adults came around; Draco felt too much like a pawn instead of a knight or a rook. Harry was clearly the queen, but he'd never been good about being kept locked away. Draco would be glad to trade him places. Let him be the knight he longs to be, and Draco would happily hide away in his bedroom until the whole war was over.

'You trust Harry?'

'I trust his heart is in the right place, but I don't trust his judgments most of the time.'

Bleeding idiot. Why couldn't he have listened to Draco's plan? Would it have been that hard for him just to ignore Draco? Draco held back a smile as warmth spread through him. He probably _couldn't_ even before, and what did that mean?

'You're not the only person who worries about him.'

'Who said I was worried about him?'

The comment didn't fool Dumbledore, who chuckled and shook his head. 

'Fine,' Draco relented, 'but that doesn't mean I have a reason to trust anyone else.'

'No, I suppose not.' After a beat, Dumbledore asked, 'are you going to wait here for him?'

Draco looked back to the fireplace. It could take five more minutes or five hours for all they knew. 'I won't be able to sleep tonight regardless.'

'How's your arm?'

'Fine.' Draco hadn't even thought of it. The Dark Lord had quit calling for him, which meant Snape had found him. He tugged at his sleeve as if to hide his mark, but it was already covered. His closest friends didn't even know he had it, and most of his enemies did. Draco supposed it was time to reevaluate who his friends and enemies were.

Pansy was more supportive than Draco had dared to hope for, but she'd been over him for a while she'd said. Still, she was worried for him. He didn't give her all the details of how he and Harry got together.

Mostly he lied. 

Draco knew she was a fan of romance novels and hate turned love relationships, so what kind of friend would he be to deny her? He told her they'd been fighting (which was close to the truth, they had been) and that somehow they'd ended up snogging (also happened!) which turned into meeting up to do more than just kiss on a permanent basis.  
So now she believes they were rolling around throwing punches and in the middle of it ended up kissing. 

Which was fine by him, because it didn't make him look like an arsehole.

The fireplace flared, and Snape swooped into the room.

'The Dark Lord understood why you couldn't leave school in the middle of the night.' He gave Draco a tight smile. 'We've come up with a plan. At the weekend, you're to go to him. This will not be optional for you Draco. You'll be gone all weekend. He hasn't noticed your mother's absence that I can tell, but if I don't bring you my place will be jeopardised as well.'

'We can't afford that,' Dumbledore whispered more to himself than them.

'I need to be there, until the end, Draco.'

Draco nodded. 'So then what's our plan?'

'We have until Friday before supper to figure it out.'

'Should I get Harry?' Draco asked.

'No,' Dumbledore and Snape said together.

#

Everyone knowing about their relationship was harder than Harry thought it'd be. Ron wasn't talking to him, and he was trying not to be angry about it. It grated on him that when he needed his best mate the most, he never seemed to be there. Harry wondered what all the rumours were that no one would tell him or Hermione about. He wondered if Ron heard them. He wondered if Ron believed them.

Most people were just openly staring at him, whether Draco as there or not. Hermione stood by Harry, though. Well, mostly sat by him. They were sitting in the library. It was empty except for a few students. Friday evenings never were busy there. 

Draco wanted to be alone that evening. Since they'd been out, they'd spent almost every moment together.

Partnering in Potions together without fighting was a surreal experience. Before, even when they were kissing, they were fighting. 

Draco read the instructions from the book, and when Harry got something wrong he gently stopped Harry's hands and then showed him the correct way. 

After one such incident, Harry looked up to see the entire class staring at them. Even Professor Snape seemed interested in their interaction. Then when Draco took the beetroots that Harry had been chopping up and sprinkled them into the potion, making sure their hands brushed in the process, Harry realised: Draco was flirting with him.

Harry almost turned the cauldron over in surprise Draco handed him the next ingredient to cut up and their fingers brushed again.

'All right there?' Draco asked.

'Yeah,' Harry croaked out, and then nodded along as he tried to listen as Draco explained the best way to cut this new thing. 

Harry had to brace himself against the desk and take a deep breath to gain control of himself again. He hadn't wanted to open his eyes to see the looks on their classmates' faces. He knew what he must look like. Draco's hand rubbed circles over Harry's back, and it was surprisingly calming instead of a turn on. When Harry did open his eyes, he saw Draco giving him a pleased smirked.

They both missed their next class.

Hermione looked at Harry across the table. He'd been staring off into space again. When their eyes met, Hermione nodded to the door. It was getting late, and just because Ron wasn't with them didn't mean they needed to hide in the library all night on a Friday. He nodded and they packed up. Hermione checked out a few books, and Harry helped her carry them.

'A lot on your mind?' she asked once they were in the hall.

Harry shook his head. 'Just not interested in reading right now.'

'Worried about Draco?' Hermione pressed.

'Why would I be worried about him?'

'Aren't you normally with him on Friday nights?'

'Yeah, but we're not normally together as much as we have been during the week.'

'Hmm, I'd thought that'd be more of a reason you'd want to be alone tonight.'

Harry stopped. 'What are you saying?'

'I'm not taking Ron's side,' Hermione started. 'Just I'd be wondering where he is, especially if . . . Voldemort has heard all the rumors. I mean it's been a week.'

'They would have told me.' 

Hermione didn't look convinced, and Harry's stomach dropped at the thought. 

'Dumbledore hasn't been the best at telling you things like this when he's trying to protect you.'

'Draco isn't supposed to go either,' Harry pointed out. 'He's to go into hiding if it comes to that, and Draco would have told me.'

'Even if he was trying to protect you?'

Harry tried to laugh it off. They were talking about Draco Malfoy. He wasn't the self-sacrificing sort. 'He doesn't love me, Hermione.'

'Are you sure about that?'

'I'll prove it to you; we'll get the map, and we'll see he's still in the school. Voldemort hasn't taken him.'

Hermione nodded but looked forlorn. As they walked, much quicker to Gryffindor Tower then, Hermione tried to calm Harry down after she was the one to get him distraught to start with. 

'Even if Draco is with him, Harry, he isn't going to hurt him. He's after you. Remember that.'

'They would have told me,' was all Harry said.

So when they got to his room and searched everywhere on his map to find Draco gone, Harry much more angry than scared for Draco. He grabbed his traveling cloak and had his broomstick in hand when Ron entered the room and took in the scene.

'I'm going with you.'

'No!' Hermione pushed Harry back toward his bed. 'Neither of you are going anywhere. The plan was for you not to react, remember?'

'I don't know what the plan is, Hermione because they didn't feel the need to fill me in. Again!'

'Me and my big mouth,' Hermione muttered to herself and then she turned to Ron. 'Lovely for you to show up, do you think you can talk some sense into him?'

'Mate, they're not going to hurt Malfoy. He did what they wanted him to do, and he's on their side,' Ron said in an unbelieving monotone voice, and then he added, 'I'm going with you.'

'You're both crazy.' She looked back and forth at them as Harry put his map away and Ron got his traveling cloak. 'You don't even know where he is!'

That made them both pause.

'Do you, mate?' Ron asked.

'No,' Harry agreed, but he had an idea. He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes. He'd never tried to contact Voldemort himself before, but they had a connection. He could. He could call Voldemort out for once.

'What are you doing?'

'Concentrating,' was all Harry answered.

_Come on, Voldemort. You want me to come to you then you have to show me where you are. Show me that you have Draco. I know he's missing._

Draco came into Harry's view. He seemed nervous but unharmed. Voldemort was laughing with the few Death Eaters there. Were they all supposed to be there? That wasn't something that they could plan. Snape was there, and then Harry's stomach dropped as he saw both Draco and Snape lose calm faces. Narcissa had just joined them.

'Welcome home, dear,' she said and kissed Draco cheek. Her smile was tight. No, this was certainly not part of their plan. 

His eyes shot opened. 'They're at Malfoy Manor.'

'Do you even know where that is?' Hermione asked.

'I do,' Ron said.

Hermione closed her eyes and muttered to herself, before she opened them and ordered, 'Don't move until I get back.'

Ron smiled at Harry as she stormed out the door.

Harry didn't smile back. 'Are you even going to apologise?'

'I thought that's what I was doing?'

'Really?'

'Well.' Ron shuffled his feet and looked toward the floor. 'I've never been great at apologies. What can I say that will be more meaningful than risking my life for the ferret?'


	12. Chapter 12

'You know,' Ron said, 'Hermione isn't going to want to fly anywhere and certainly not all the way to Malfoy Manor. It will take us hours to get there, even if we all have our own brooms.'

Harry agreed. They didn't have time to waste. Anything could be happening, but he hoped that Voldemort was waiting for him.

'We need a Floo,' Harry said, and then as thought of where they could find one, added, 'Snape is there.'

'Snape is where?' Hermione said as she entered the room in her traveling cloak.

'Malfoy Manor.'

'Which means,' Ron said as he unwrapped Hermione's cloak from around her shoulders. 'We're not going to be needing these.' 

Hermione took back the cloak and buttoned it up. 'I like to be prepared.'

Ron rolled his eyes and shrugged his off and threw it on his trunk. Harry ignored them. With Hermione back, they were free to go. He made his way out the door and heard them quickly follow him.

'So, where are we going?'

'Snape's office!' 

'And we're going to get in, how?'

'Magic, of course,' Ron said.

Hermione huffed behind them. 'So, me.'

They couldn't deny that. Hermione was the best, and Harry knew she'd be the one most likely to be able to get passed Snape's spells. Once they arrived at Snape's office door, Hermione stopped them. 

'Harry, do you have any plan?'

'Do I ever?'

'What _do_ we know then?'

'I know whatever they had planned isn't working. Draco's mum is there, and she's supposed to be in hiding. Snape was taken off guard, and Draco wasn't even supposed to be there.'

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded before she began working on the door. 

After the third spell, Ron whistled. 'Why do you know so many unlocking spells?'

'Because I'm friends with you two.' Just then she swung the door opened. 

Harry rushed to the Floo and quickly located Snape's Floo powder, when he turned around, he saw his friends looking around Snape's strange office.

'Come on; he's a Potions Master. What did you expect? Pictures of kittens?' Then before either of them could answer, Harry jumped into the Floo and called out Malfoy Manor.

Harry rolled out of the fireplace and landed on his back. Looking up, he was surrounded by Death Eaters who made a semi-circle around the fireplace. 

A moment later, Ron popped out, his wand at the ready and on his feet. Hermione came last with her wand in hand as well. The Death Eaters didn't have out their wands, but they weren't masked either. Snape, Draco and his mother were standing with them, but they were separated. Harry didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one.

Before Harry could reach for his wand, Voldemort's was at his throat.

Ron and Hermione kept their wands held high as time seemed to stand still around them.

'You called?' Harry said, and Voldemort smiled down at him.

'So good of you to come on such short notice,' he said. 'Normally, I'd help you up and offer a proper duel, but I've already wasted far too much time on you as it is.'

As Voldemort lifted his wand to cast his spell, Harry rolled away, and everyone pulled out their wands. Once Harry had made it to his feet, he saw that Snape had stepped between him and Voldemort. Narcissa was blocking hexes from her sister. Ron and Hermione were fighting near with a couple of Death Eaters near Draco.

'I thought I had to be the one to fight him,' Harry said as he pulled out his wand. 

Snape ignored him and soon Harry didn't have a choice but to join the chaos as Voldemort and Snape stared each other down.

Harry blocked a curse and then sent an Expellearmous at Dolohov that missed. He could just hear Voldemort's words as he cursed Snape behind him. If Snape died, they'd be done for. Harry tried to sneak a hex passed Snape toward Voldemort's feet, but Snape stepped in the way blocking his path. Then Dolohov was sending spells at Harry too fast for him to pay attention to what was happening outside of their own duel.

Somehow Draco and Macnair had moved their fight right behind Dolohov. Draco hit Macnair with a spell that threw in back against Dolohov, and after they both tumbled to the ground Harry was able to stun them.

'You _stunned_ them?' Draco said as stalked toward him. 'Are you joking right now?'

Draco raised his wand and Harry asked, 'Are you kill them then?'

Their eyes met, and Harry didn't know if that had been Draco's plan. He didn't change position as he put them deep to sleep, and then ropes appeared and tied them together.

Hermione's yelp as she hit the ground behind them called their attention away. Harry hit a Death Eater, he didn't know the name of, in the back with another stunning spelling. He fell forward pinning Hermione to the ground.

'My wand, Harry.' 

He grabbed her wand and helped her out from under the man. She finished securing him as Ron joined them with a shake of his head a Harry. Goyle was unconscious behind him.

'You'd think Death Eaters would be a bit better at dueling.'

'They're old, Ronald,' Hermione said. 'We have better reflexes, and these few aren't exactly Voldemort's best. We weren't fighting--.'

'Bellatrix,' Harry finished for her. 

They looked to see that with one hand Bellatrix had Narcissa by the throat and was sending hexes at Draco with another. 

'Right, you two help them, and I'll help Snape.'

Through everything, Voldemort and Snape had yet to throw one spell at each other. They seemed to still be _talking_. Voldemort's back was to Harry as he inched forward. His eyes met Snape's, and before Harry could take another step, Snape shot the killing curse at Voldemort.

He dropped in a heap at Snape's feet.

Harry was too stunned to move. A flash of black flew across his vision, and it took him a moment to realise that it had been Bellatrix running to her master. 

Without a word, Snape grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him to the Floo. 'You lot are next,' he said on their way there. He put Floo powder in Harry's hand shoved him back into the fireplace. 'Dumbledore's office.'

'Dumbledore's office,' Harry repeated.

#

Dumbledore was at his desk writing a letter when Harry entered still not sure what to say or do. Dumbledore looked up briefly and then gestured for Harry to take a seat. The others filed in behind him.

'You don't have security on your Floo?'

'Not tonight, Harry.'

With Draco's mother there, he stayed near her. They looked at each other, but Draco didn't run to him. He didn't check Harry over for cuts and bruises like Ron and Hermione were with each other then. He pulled he gaze away from Draco as Snape came through the Floo and sealed.

'What happened to Bellatrix?'

'I assume she's still crying,' was all Snape said.

'You're just going to let them all get away?'

Snape looked at Dumbledore, who finished his letter and stood to hand it off to an owl who was sitting at his window.

'I'm sure she'll still be there crying when the Aurors get there.'

After another long moment of silence, Harry said, 'I thought I was the only one with the power to kill him.'

Snape snorted, but Dumbledore answered, 'He was just a man, Harry. Had you never considered that your part in the Prophecy had already been filled?'

Harry shook his head.

'You destroyed him once, and he was still weakened from it. He was not as powerful this time as he was then. Both because of what he had done to himself and from his encounter with you from all those years ago.'

'From what he'd done to himself?' Hermione asked. 'What had he done to himself.'

'I'm afraid, Miss Granger, our fight with him isn't quite over. You see when he was a young man he stumbled upon a bit of magic that could, in theory, help him live on forever.' Dumbledore took a ring off his finger and placed it on his desk. 'A Horcrux; he cut up his soul and embedded them into objects. If one of his followers gets one of the Horcruxes he made, they could bring him back again. Professor Snape is helping me find ways to destroy them.'

Harry stood. 'So you're saying our mission now is to find these? How many are there.'

'No, no.' Dumbledore shook his head and gestured for Harry to sit down. 'That's _our_ mission. Your mission has always been a simple one, Harry: just live. That's all I've wanted for you.'

'You've just made this considerably harder on us, Potter,' Snape said.

'Severus,' Draco's mother cut in. 'He was only trying to help.'

'Yes, I know,' Snape sneered, 'but with the Dark Lord dead, I can't get any more information about the Horcruxes out of him. We haven't found half of them yet.'

'Maybe,' she said to Dumbledore then, 'they can help us. It'll be safe enough for them to study how to destroy them, to study the Dark Lord's life to give us clues to what he might have used.'

Dumbledore looked from her to Harry. 'Would that satisfy you, Harry? Enough that you're helping us?'

Harry didn't know, but then Draco answered for him, 'Yes.'

'I don't know.'

'Yes,' Draco insisted again. 'Don't be a fool. You hate being shut out, and they're inviting you in.' Draco shook his head. 'Is it really that hard for you to just live? Do you not want to be a normal teenager and have the biggest thing you have to worry about be whether or not you win the next Quidditch match?'

'Yes, yes, of course, I want that. But I don't get that life because I have a manic after me who wants me dead.'

'Had,' Draco said and he came and kneeled in front of Harry, taking his hands into his own. 'He's dead. Snape killed him; he's dead.'

'He could come back.'

'He won't.' Draco hands were Harry's hair, and then he was kissing him, reassuring him that, 'He won't. We won't let him come back.'

#

Harry rubbed his face until he couldn't feel the dried tear marks on it anymore. Draco was still asleep beside him. They were in Gryffindor Tower because Draco didn't think Harry should be alone. 

Voldemort was finally dead, and Harry had never had a night so filled with nightmares. His head and his body ached, but he didn't dare move too much because he didn't want to wake Draco. He'd woken him up enough the night before.

Light snuck between the curtains and highlighted Draco's face as he slept.

He was supposed to be angry with them all about keeping him in the dark, but Harry was too worn out to be anything other than worn out. Maybe his anger would return after he got more rest. They didn't know what Voldemort was planning on doing. He might have tried to kill Draco or his mother. Would Snape have stopped it had Harry not shown up?

Draco's feet brushed against Harry's as he began to stir. 'Are you alright.'

'Harry shrugged.'

'For some reason, I expected you to be ecstatic once he was gone.'

'Maybe once the nightmares go away.'

'That is probably the best example I could think of on why _you_ shouldn't be out looking for pieces of his soul.' Draco sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees.

'What if I'd be better at it, though? I mean, I'm the one who had a link to him.'

Draco groaned and fell back against the pillows, before throwing his arm over his face. After a beat, he said, 'Do you want to go to the library?'

'Why?'

'To read up on Horcruxes and the Dark Lord's life, of course.'

Harry smiled and leaned over to kiss Draco.

'Or maybe we could stay here and do something much more pleasant.' Draco ran his hand up Harry's thigh. 'I'm not sure I like this relationship thing. We've been much less physical ever since we got in one.'

'Are you saying, I'm not a pleasing boyfriend.'

'Hmm, no, but I've been thinking you might have an addiction to adrenaline.'

Harry laughed. 'What?'

'When we were sneaking around, I couldn't keep your hands off me.'

Running his hand up Draco's shirt, Harry leaned down and kissed him. Draco made quick work of getting Harry naked and then pressed him back against the bed. 

'What are you doing?'

'I'm going to ride you because I miss it, and if I'm going to have to be in library reading about dark, creepy things all day, I'm going to need a reminder of why it's worth it.' Draco had whispered a spell before he slid down and onto Harry's lap. 'Fuck, Harry, I've missed you inside me.'

Harry pulled Draco close and began kissing him, forgetting about his weak and tired body for the moment. He'd missed this, too. He'd been perfectly content just to live and be with Draco before. He'd been happy of the distraction Draco had been.

As Draco's legs began to shake, Harry found a rhythm and moved along with him.

'Oh, Harry, just like that,' Draco whispered against his lips. 'Fuck, touch me.'

It took a moment for Harry to figure out what he meant. He was touching Draco. They were pressed so tightly together that there wasn't a part of them not touching each other. Harry slid his hand between them and stroked Draco.

'I love you,' Harry said.

'Oh fuck, oh fuck.' And then Draco lost control, coming and shaking and kissing Harry until it was hard to breathe. As Draco tightened around Harry, Harry bit his lip and came as well.

It was quiet for a moment as Draco caught his breath, and then he whispered, 'I think I'm learning to as well.'

Maybe everything wasn't all perfect yet, but Harry was starting to believe, as Draco did, that it would be.


End file.
